Sleepy Hollow
by LostShadowPuppet
Summary: Constable Santana Lopez is sent from New York to investigate murder in Sleepy Hollow but finds herself in a mess that's bigger than just simple murder. Brittana relationship, Blainetana friendship. Rated M for language and violence just to be safe


**A/N: **Hey everybody! It's been awhile since I posted anything, but I had been working on this for awhile. It's an adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. I wrote this about 4 times swinging between the Movie version and the actual story and the final outcome was based more around the movie.

For those who are waiting for updates on Razor, I'm really sorry it's been forever. I had actually finished the story and then everything was completely wiped. Razor was one of the things that I had yet to back up. So, I'm again going to start working on it.

Anyway, I've decided I really enjoy doing adaptations, it's not as time consuming for me as it is writing my own stories. Which though I love doing, at the moment I reserve it only for university purposes. So if anybody has any suggestions let me know, I have a couple of ideas up my sleeve but I would like to know what people would like to read.

I finally got Twitter. Look at me moving forward into the progressiveness of social media. So if you would like to Tweet you can catch me at JaelTomes. I also have amended my tumblr, deciding I should really use it, you can find me at lostshadowpuppets (nothing is happening there as yet, but I'll motivate myself!)

Without further adieu I present Sleepy Hollow

All mistakes are my own. I'm from New Zealand so I speak/write the Queens English. I apologise for those who don't like it. I do not own Glee nor do I own Sleepy Hollow.

**Please review!**

* * *

**The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow**

The moon sits in the clouded sky watching over the empty cobblestone streets that weave their way through the burrows of New York, like an endless maze fenced by stately buildings. The streets are quiet at this hour of the night, save for the scuffing shoes of an occasional drunkard stumbling through the cobblestone jungle. The silence that permeates the city is suddenly broken as a rapidly clanging bell pierces through the night sky. At the sound of the bell two constables make their way quickly towards the piercing noise clamouring around a corner, lanterns held high, listening, determining the direction in which to go. Hearing the clanging grow louder as they continue to walk, they disappear down an alleyway. The two constables arrive, at the piers that border the Hudson. The bell's clanging is louder here. Squinting to see the source, they carefully shuffle forward, pistols drawn.

"Where are you?" Asks the larger of the two men

"Here! Over here!" a woman's voice replies. The constables lower their weapons and hurry to the river's edge, peering down at the woman, waist deep in dark water, throwing aside her alarm bell, struggling to pull something from the murky abyss.

"I need your help with this." The woman grunts as she tries to move whatever it is that is in the water. The constables move forward, wary of the situation.

"Constable Lopez? Santana Lopez... is that you?" The smaller constable asks. The woman turns and looks up at the men, her beautiful brown eyes narrowed in an unsettled way.

"No, it's Santa Claus. Of course it's me you imbecile" Santana then drags a bloated male corpse out from the water. "And it appears I have a friend" She whispers as she backs away slightly, shaking from the cold and looks to the constables who both share horrified looks upon their faces.

In a dank, cavernous room, the distinguished high constable David Karofsky lifts the blanket Santana had placed over the corpse, which now resided in a wheelbarrow manned by the shorter of the two constables that had helped Santana, the taller one stood imposingly beside Santana watching as David did his inspection. Sneering he throws the blanket back over the man and looks at the constable

"Burn it." He says emotionless. The two constables look as if Christmas has come early.

"Yes, sir." The taller one replies as they both wheel the corpse down a ramp in to another room. Santana frowns and clears her throat

"Just one moment. If I may. We do not yet know the cause of death."

"When you find them in the river, Constable Lopez, the obvious cause of death is drowning." David replies simply, turning his back to Santana in an act of dismissal. Not one to shy away from an argument Santana continues

"Possibly so if there is water in the lungs. By using pathology we might be able to determine whether or not he was dead when he went into the river." David turns back and faces Santana scowling

"You want to cut him up? Are we heathens? Let him rest in peace - in one piece as according to God and the New York Department of Health." The last part was growled out as Karofsky turned on his heel adding a "Goodnight Constable Lopez" as he walks away. Santana is about to protest, but stops herself; frustrated she turns and leaves the Night watch.

* * *

During the day, New York City's streets are the complete opposite of the silent nights. The metropolis thrives as Merchants open their stalls and Tradesmen make their way to work. Children run through the streets giggling as the bourgeois make their way from stall to stall mindless shopping. Santana Lopez walks with purpose to the watch house. Ignoring the bustling city around her she approaches the steps that lead towards her destination and takes in the men that are held in chains and gibbets in front of the Watch house.

Acknowledging the guards she steps into the large building and makes her way down the corridor into a room filled with people. Quietly she makes her way to the front of the room and watches the crazed devices people have invented to aid crime fighting and crime solving. The Applicants are crowded together to one side, waiting their turn. Santana stands with them, taking note that she is the only one with books and papers with her.

Looking up at the panel today Santana inwardly sighs, David Karofsky, Azimio Addams, Rajesh Figgins and Shannon Bieste. All have issues with the young Latina, asides Shannon Bieste. There was no way they would agree to her ideas. Turning back to the person who was presenting their idea to the panel she rolls her eyes. A wallet with a mousetrap in it to stop pickpockets? What a moron!

"... and in a few weeks, the plague of pickpockets will be a thing of the past!" The man with a puffball of hair exclaims in an obnoxious tone. He then shows how to set the trap-spring.

"Give me a dozen constables in gentleman's dress..." He then pockets the wallet-trap.

"... Mixing in with the crowds where pickpockets are most rampant" He produces a fake hand-on-a-stick to represent a pickpocket.

"A stealthy hand dips into the gentleman's pocket. Then…" There is the sound of the trap snapping shut and the Inventor withdraws the fake hand with its fingers chopped off. The Officials wince, impressed. Figgins writes down some notes and then clears his throat, looking down at the man,

"Thank you. We will take your device under consideration, Mr Israel. Next!"

Jacob Ben Israel turns to leave acknowledging Santana as he walks by. A large black man, Santana has never seen before, starts dragging a man-sized cage contraption to centre stage. Santana looks horrified at the contraption and looks at Bieste, the most rational of the panel and sees her brow furrow in concern. The man steps forward and starts to demonstrate. As the presentation drags on. Santana tries to get the attention of the Officials, horrified at what is before them.

"Gentlemen! - The Millennium is almost upon us - In a few months we will be living in the nineteenth century -!" She starts, interrupting the presentation successfully. William Figgins glares at her

"Wait your turn, Constable Lopez" he growls, Santana stares at him in disbelief, not one to be told what to do she continues

"These devices are unworthy of a modern civilization... "

"Quiet Lopez or you will be thrown out" Figgins spits, but Bieste looks at her sympathetically. The large man presenting the device chuckles.

"Shane, you may continue" Azimio states in a bored tone

"Thank you, sir!"

He turns proudly to his man-size cage, whose front hinges down for ingress. The floor of the cage is a steel plate. A "writing board" for signing confessions is attached to the inside of the cage.

"The Tinsley self-locking Confessional is cheap at the price and will last for years with just an occasional wipe with a damp cloth. When the villain steps on the floor plate... "

Santana scoffs at the presentation, and then drops all but one of her books and papers to the ground, picking up her pen she begins to write furiously in the book and then smirks. Looking up she points at Shane Tinsley and yells.

"Arrest that man!"

Everybody in the room again turns to stare at her. David Karofsky looks at her puzzled

"Arrest...?" He questions, Santana nods vigorously at the question.

"I accuse him of murder!" Shane stands open mouthed staring at Santana. Shaking his head he comes out of his catatonic state

"What the devil are you talking about, you loon?" Shane demands. Santana takes two steps toward him and gives him a violent shove in the chest. Shane staggers back into his cage, which self-locks, and at the same time a head clamp descends from the top gripping the large man's head. His arms flail about as he yells. Santana slaps his page on the writing board and offers Shane her pen.

"Sign here!" She demands as Shane starts groaning in pain

"Please, press the release handle..." He begs. Santana smirks at him

"Not until you confess!" Uproar ensues as police officers enter the room, Santana ignores the chaos she has caused and waits as Shane signs the paper. Smiling she then pulls the "release handle." Waving the piece of paper Shane had just signed she walks up to the panel

"I have here a confession to the murder of a man I fished out of the river last night!" Figgins bangs his fist on the table

"Stand down Lopez!"

"I stand up, for sense and justice. Our jails overflow with men and women convicted on confessions worth no more than this one!" The room again bursts into chaos. Karofsky bangs a gavel until he gets some silence for Figgins. Figgins narrows his eyes at Santana and contemplates his course of action. Clearing his throat he calmly talks directly to Santana

"Constable, this is a song we have heard from you more than once but never before with this discordant accompaniment. I have two courses open to me. First, I can let you cool your heels in the cells until you learn respect for the dignity of my office..."

"I beg pardon." Santana interrupts "I only meant well. Why am I the only one who sees that to solve crimes, to detect the guilty, we must use our brains? - to recognize vital clues, using up-to date scientific…." Santana is then cut off by William

"This brings me to the second course. Constable Lopez, there is a town upstate, two days' journey to the north in the Hudson Highlands. It is a place called Sleepy Hollow. Have you heard of it?"

"I have not." Santana replies cautiously

"An isolated farming community. Mostly Dutch. Three persons have been murdered there, all within a fortnight... each found with their head lopped off." Santana scrunches up her face

"Lopped off?"

"Clean as dandelion heads, apparently. Now, these ideas of yours, they have never been put to the test..."

"I have never been allowed to put them to the test!" Santana protests. William chuckles

"And now your wish is to be granted. So you take your experimentations to Sleepy Hollow and deduce, neigh, detect the murderer. Bring him here to face our good justice. Will you do this?" Figgins smiles slightly as Santana's demeanour changes considerably. From defensive to a child in a candy store. Containing her excitement she smiles slightly at Figgins and nods

"I shall, gladly."

* * *

Santana stands between two massive stone pillars at the entrance of the town. Unsure as to why she has been just left here with no idea where to go, she turns back to the coach she just arrived in just to watch it leave her behind. Sighing, Santana picks up her bags and heads between the pillars, starting up a long straight, narrow road. As she walks by a tree she notices three dead ravens hanging from a branch by twine. Screwing up her face in disgust she picks up speed, passing a church and a graveyard, with freshly dug graves. The road ahead is bordered by rows of businesses and two-story homes. Santana then enters the town square and notices an elderly woman standing in her doorway. Santana gives the woman a shy smile, the woman backs away and shuts her door. She continues walking continues walking through the town. Looking up she sees a man glaring at her from his second story window. The man swiftly shuts the shutters of his window. Confused as to the cold reaction she seems to be receiving Santana decides to head directly to where she is staying. As Santana continues she sees that there are two or three Riflemen placed at vantage points on the roofs and also, when she looks back, a Rifleman up on the Church Tower. The whole village is like a Western town waiting for an attack. She approaches a strange wooden bunker, like a small fortress with a huge alarm bell mounted on top. Several farmers are gathered, all armed with rifles. Santana stops to watch the scene.

A teenage boy approaches the group of armed farmers, armed with food and drink, tied in what looks like a picnic blanket. A man who strikingly resembles the Teenager approaches him and takes the picnic and pats him on the back He smiles confidently.

"Don't worry, son." The elder man says reassuringly.

Another farmer comes and leads the teenager away as the elder man walks towards the bunker followed by the rest of the armed farmers. He climbs into the bunker as the other farmers light torches around the bunker. Santana ponders this as she trudges along approaching the mansion in which she is to be staying at. As she climbs up the steps she puts down her bags on the veranda and takes a piece of paper from her satchel. Hearing a strange noise coming from the shadows and almost blunders into them, causing a little panic and embarrassment, in which Santana shares, and as she mumbles apologies and opens the door, There's a harvest party in progress. People are gathered everywhere talking quietly in groups. Santana looks around nervously, not expecting to arrive to a party she makes her way further into the house and bumps into a few people, excusing herself as she moves further into the home. She approaches a giant of a man and clears her throat

"Pardon my intrusion sir; I seek Mister Jacobi Pierce but..." Santana is cut off by the oafish looking man

"In the parlour, Ma'am, over there" her points then turns his back to her. Santana rolls her eyes and mutters thanks despite the rudeness of the man. Walking through a door way she spies a circle of people moving around a tall, blonde, blindfolded young woman. Santana moves forward to inspect the scene. Everyone quiets, avoiding her searching hands. The woman moves around singing a song softly;

"The Pickety Witch,

The Pickety Witch,

Who's got a kiss for the Pickety witch?"

She makes a lunge, grabbing empty air, just missing a smartly dressed dark haired man; everyone moans humorously. Santana spies who she believes is Jacobi Pierce and moves to pass through the group to reach the man. But is stopped when soft hands grab at her face. Shocked Santana freezes, she looks around and notices the group that had been playing the game with the woman have also frozen puzzled, not knowing who Santana is. The Woman traces Santana's face, causing Santana to blush. The smartly dressed dark haired man glares at Santana almost evilly. A small voice breaks the silence

"A kiss! A kiss!"

The tall blonde woman smiles and traces Santana's face again, thinking upon who she may have captured

"Is it Artie?"

The room bursts into laughter as Artie, the smartly dressed dark haired man, stands horrified. Santana looks around and awkwardly clears her throat

"Pardon, ma'am. I am only a stranger."

Brittany drops her hands to her sides and acknowledges Santana. Though still blindfolded.

"Then have a kiss on account."

She leans forward kisses Santana lightly, chuckling she then removes the blindfold and smiles at Santana. Santana tries to compose herself, paralyzed by the beauty of the woman's strikingly blue eyes. Composing herself Santana remembers why she is there and tears her eyes from the woman.

"I... um, I am looking for Jacobi Pierce" Santana blushes at the stumble she made. The woman looks at her adoringly and smiles

"I am his daughter, Brittany Susan Pierce"

Artie steps forward beside Brittany and eyes Santana up again

"And who are you, friend? We have not heard your name yet." He growls. Santana rolls her eyes at the obvious display of Alpha Masculinity

"I have not said it. Excuse me... "She moves to step around the two but is stopped as Artie grabs her shoulder. Santana glares at him until he removes his hand

"You need some manners." Artie again growls at Santana

"Artie!" Brittany warns

A man and woman appear from seemingly nowhere to throw their three cents into the conversation. If you could call it a conversation, Santana thinks to herself. It's more open hostility to the new person if anything.

"Come, come - we want no raised voices..." The man starts in a soothing accented voice. "It is only to raise the spirits during this dark time that I and my good wife are giving this little party... "The woman beside him eyes Santana up and down with a look of complete disinterest.

"Ma'am, you are welcome even if you are selling something!" The man chuckles and takes a sip of wine. The pleasantry relaxes the atmosphere in the room and Santana is glad the tall blonde man sought fit to enter at that precise moment.

"Thank you, sir. I am Constable Santana Lopez, sent to you from New York with authority to investigate murder in Sleepy Hollow."

The room falls into silence at the mention of Santana's purpose. She looks around inspecting people's faces. A blonde haired man with an obscenely large mouth looks sharply at Santana. A baby-faced priest grunts sceptically. A well-dressed Asian man exchanges a surprised look with another man, an impeccably dressed effeminate man. Lady Pierce gives the men a reproachful look.

"Well, what use is a Constable?" The baby-faced priest says in a thick Irish accent. Lady Pierce scowls at the Irishman and addresses Santana

"Then, Sleepy Hollow is grateful to you, Constable Lopez - I hope you will honour this house by remaining with us until..."

"Until you've made the arrest!" Artie interrupts. To Santana's surprise this gets a nervous laugh from the crowded room. Jacobi however frowns at Artie and Brittany looks at Santana with renewed interest.

Jacobi turns to Santana, takes her by the arm and smiles reassuringly at her

"Come, young lady. We'll get you settled."

Upstairs Santana moves around unpacking her bags. Laying out her journals on the desk. Looking out the window she begins to ponder where she will have to start. A loud bang disrupts her from her thoughts and a small Jewish woman bustles through the door bringing a pitcher of water. Santana acknowledges her smiling

"Thank you. Please tell Mr. Pierce I will be down in a moment." The small woman nods

"I will, ma'am." She turns to leave then pauses "Thank God you are here" she says quickly then retreats from the room. Santana is surprised by the emotion but ignores it.

* * *

Five men wait grimly for Santana in the parlour, silent in the presence of the Jewish woman Rachel, who is placing a pipe cradle by Jacobi as Lady Pierce is pouring the men a drink. The music from the party is faintly audible but goes ignored.

"I can't believe she's come all the way from New York!" the effeminate man growls in a delicate voice

"A waste of time" The Asian man states simply

"What can she do? She's a woman!" The baby faced Irishman growls. Jacobi Pierce sighs

"Gentlemen, gentlemen..."

At that moment Santana appears in the doorway. Jacobi smiles warmly at her

"Excellent! Constable Lopez come in!" He then turns to Lady Pierce

"Please leave us, my dear." She nods and vacates the room as Santana walks into the middle of it, searching each man's face. Clearing her throat she begins

"So Three persons murdered. First, William Schuester and his son Timothy Schuester, both of them strong capable men, found together, decapitated. A week later, the Widow Pillsbury, also decapitated. I will need to ask you many questions, but first let me ask - is anyone suspected?" Santana looks at each man eyes narrowed. Jacobi shifts uncomfortably confused

"I don't understand you." He mutters. Santana rolls her eyes

"Is there any one person suspected in these acts?" She asks more directly. The men all look at each other with looks upon their faces that Santana cannot distinguish. Rory clears his throat and questions Santana in his thick accent

"Constable... how much has your superiors explained to you?" Santana looks at Rory a flicker of confusion crosses her face

"Only that the three were slain in open ground and their heads found severed from their bodies... "She looks at the men as; the fancy dressed Kurt Hummel dramatically shakes his head and speaks in his flamboyant effeminate tone

"The heads were not found severed. The heads were not found at all." Santana screws up her face not bothering to hide her confusion

"The heads are gone?"

"Taken. Taken by the Headless Horseman. Taken back to hell."

"Pardon me, I...?" Santana starts but is interrupted by the large mouthed blonde shaking his head

"Perhaps you had better sit down."

Santana takes a seat next to the Doctor, Mike Chang, as Sam pours her a drink of whiskey. She takes the glass and puts the liquid too her lips and feels the burn as it slides down her throat. Jacobi sits opposite Santana and clasps his hands together, clearing his throat

"The Horseman was a Hessian mercenary, sent to our shores by German princes to keep Americans under the yoke of England. But unlike his compatriots who came for money, the Horseman came... for love of carnage... and he was not like the others. He rode a giant black steed named Daredevil. He was infamous for taking his horse hard into battle. Chopping off heads at full gallop. To look upon him made your blood run cold, for he had filed down his teeth to sharp points... to add to the ferocity of his appearance. This butcher would not finally meet his end till the winter of seventy-nine. Not far from here in our Western Woods. They cut off his head with his own sword. To this day, the Western Woods is a haunted place where brave men will not venture for what was planted in the ground that day was a seed of evil. And so it has been for twenty years. But now the Hessian wakes - he is on the rampage, cutting off heads where he finds them." Jacobi finishes the story and all eyes fall upon Santana. She sits frozen for a few moments before downing the rest of her drink, feeling the burn set fire to her throat; she uses it as an excuse to contemplate what Jacobi had said

"Are you... saying...? Is that what you believe?" She asks. Mike Chang smiles at her softly, his calming eyes somewhat easing her confusion

"No one knows why the Hessian has chosen this time to return from the grave." Mike says simply. Rory shakes his head in an act of both fear and anger

"Satan has called forth one of his own!" he then storms over to Jacobi's bookshelf and pulls out a thick book and slams it down on the table next to Santana. She glances at the cover and realises it the Pierce family bible. Rory sneers his voice dripping in condescension

"They tell me you have brought books and trappings of scientific investigation - this is the only book I recommend you study." Santana looks up at him rolling her eyes and shaking her head in disbelief.

" gentlemen, murder needs no ghost come from the grave. Which of you have laid eyes on this Headless Horsemen?" She asks carefully. The silence falls thick and heavy at the question. Sam eyes Mike carefully as Kurt fiddles with a loose piece of cotton on his immaculate suit. Mike takes a breath and eyes Santana "Others have. Many others."

Santana smiles sceptically at him. Jacobi moves forward across the room taking a sip of his drink

"You will see him too if he comes again. The men of the village are posted to watch for him."

Taking her bottom lip between her teeth Santana contemplates what she says next, torn between laughing and offending the men for their outlandish beliefs or approaching the situation cautiously.

"You know, we have murders constantly in New York, committed by human beings, your tales of ghouls and goblins do not frighten me sirs"

Sam Evans chuckles to himself. His oversized mouth growing seemingly larger with each chuckle

"You are a long way from New York Miss Lopez"

"And you are all bewitched by European fairy tales. The assassin is a man of flesh and blood, and I will discover him, using technology in which has yet to be used before."

Rory's disbelieving Irish accent fills the room

"How do you propose to do so then?"

At the Priests questioning Santana smiles broadly

"By discovering his reason. It is what we call "the motive." This mystery will not resist investigation by a rational, realistic woman."

* * *

Brittany wiggles uncomfortably in her chair, sitting in front of her mirror as Lady Pierce whacks her on the head with the brush she is using to brush Brittany's hair. Brittany glares at her as she resumes counting the strokes.

"I'm really disappointed in our first visitor ever from New York. I expected more." Brittany pauses and smiles "Magic. I expected a unicorn drawn carriage and the likes. She doesn't even know how to present herself. Had she not been wearing make up I would suspect her of being a man! I expected elegance and a regal manner. Instead we are presented with a harsh woman whom seems more interested in books and science than Womanly duties"

Brittany is interrupted by a knock on the door. Lady Pierce gives Brittany the hairbrush and goes to the door.

"Yes, even if Sandbags was a man she would not be like your Artie. Go on brushing, I got to forty-two "

The tall blonde woman opens the door to find Rachel standing apprehensively.

"Sorry to intrude Lady Pierce but the constable, she wants a Bible"

Lady Pierce looks at the short girl, eyes narrowed

"Bible?"

Brittany appears besides Lady Pierce and smiles at Rachel

"Don't worry Rach, I'll take it to her"

Rachel smiles up at Brittany and curtsy's as she takes her leave. Lady Pierce turns to look at Brittany in a scrutinizing way. Brittany shrugs her shoulders

"What? Rachel may be just one of your many servants but she is a loyal friend to me"

Lady Pierce narrows her eyes further indicating that is not what she meant. Meeting her eyes Brittany defends her future actions.

"I want to see if her big shot New York City talk suits her better than her clothes."

* * *

Santana sits surrounded by her books, studying her journal. Clearly

There has been no breakthrough. Santana broods trying to think of a rational explanation for these murders. Her thoughts are disturbed by a knock at the door. She ignored it though, hating to be disrupted whilst in deep thought. Not more than a few seconds later a knock tear through the silence which envelopes Santana's room. Growling to herself Santana mumbles a small "come in". Brittany enters carrying the leather bound book in which Santana had requested. Santana does not turn to acknowledge Brittany. And asks Brittany to place the bible on the table next to her bed. Brittany puts down the Bible as directed.

"That will be all - no, tell me, about that big brute who seems to be Miss Brittany's –"

As she talks, Santana turns in her chair and see's Brittany standing beside her bed. Santana blushes upon realising who joined her in her room.

"Forgive me, I... I asked Rachel to bring me... "She nods to the heavy book. Brittany just laughs at her

"So your clever books have failed you and you turn to the Bible after all!"

Santana frowns at Brittany's manner

"I see I am talked about downstairs."

"In passing only, we have many things to talk about even in this backward place." Brittany replies simply. Santana clears her throat awkwardly

"I am sorry... Please excuse my manner; I am not used to... "

"Other female company?" Brittany finishes for her. Santana chuckles

"More society in general."

Frowning Brittany steps closer to Santana looking at the pile of books stacked on the desk Santana had been sitting at.

"How can you avoid society in New York? How I should love the opera, and theatres and to go dancing. Isn't it wonderful?"

"I have never been."

Brittany eyes Santana confused

"But there is an art museum? A concert hall?"

"I don't know." Santana replies simply

"Then you have nothing to teach me."

"I was not sent here to be your tutor Miss Pierce."

"I like to learn from people's experiences Constable Lopez. I did not mean for you to teach me as if I were a child learning mathematics"

Santana considers Brittany for a moment

"Do you believe the Schuester' and the Widow Pillsbury were murdered by a headless horseman?"

"Not everyone here believes it is the Horseman."

Santana sighs in relief

"Good."

Brittany smiles at Santana as she continues

"Some say it is the witch of the Western Woods who has made a pact with Lucifer."

Rolling her eyes Santana lets out an exasperated cry

"There are no witches, or galloping ghosts either. Is everyone in this village a slave to superstition?"

Screwing up her face Brittany shakes her head.

"Why are you so afraid of Magic? Not all magic is black. There are ancient truths in these woods which have been forgotten in your city and parks."

"If they are truths, they are not magic and if magic, they are not truths"

"You are foolish. When there is fever in the house, it is well known that willow herb roots and crow's foot must be boiled in the milk of a pure white goat with special charms uttered over the fire... and the fever abates"

Santana scoffs at Brittany

"Next time try the herb without the rest. And now I must ask you to vacate my room"

Brittany's face shows no trace of emotion at her dismissal.

"Gladly. I should not have interrupted our town's saviour. Good night. And as to your first question, that big brute you were asking about has proposed to me.

Eyeing Brittany Santana forces a small smile,

"I'm happy for you Miss Pierce"

Brittany moves to let her out, before she closes the door she pops her head back round and adds

"Proposed to me several times."

This ambiguous statement, accompanied by a faint smile, confuses Santana into silence as Brittany closes the door behind her. She turns to look at the Bible. She carefully opens the front cover, on the front page is a Family Tree going back a hundred years, in various inks and handwritings. Santana studies it carefully and begins to learn various facts of the Pierce family: Brittany was born in 1777, to Jacobi's first wife, Anna, who died in 1797. Lady Pierce is Jacobi's second wife. Looking further back into the family history, Santana suddenly notices something even more interesting: The family tree has a "Schuester" in it - the husband of Jacobi's father's sister. Muttering to herself she almost yells as she realises the implications

"Schuester!"

Santana looks thoughtful. She starts copying out details into her Ledger. A very faint rumbling disturbs her for a moment. She looks up to be met with silence.

* * *

The night falls quickly, streets lay emptied. Lights glowing from the windows slowly go out, one by one until the whole town lays in complete darkness. The only sign of light coming from the moon over head. The rumbling begins again. Like thunder.

Cooper Anderson Looks out from the bunker he is residing in for the night, the distant sound of the ground rumbling is heard. Cooper looks out to the woods, fearful. The torches burn bright along the forest line. A heard of deer stampede out, sprinting across the field. Jonathan watches the forest. A horrible, silent stillness has fallen. Cooper's eyes widen as a thick fog creeps from the woods. The fog overtakes each torch, mist snakes up, snuffing each flame one by one by one, all along the forest edge. Cooper sticks his rifle out from the bunker and sights the gun along the tree line.

"Come out, devil... come... "

From the Silhouetted trees a shadow appears. Cooper starts firing his rifle, several gunshots echoing in the deceptively peaceful night. Silence blankets the area as the shadowy figure approaches Cooper. Cooper flees through the forest, glancing back every so often, terrified. The sounds of thunderous hoof beats are chasing Cooper from behind. Cooper pushes through thorny bushes. Jagged branches bloody his hands and cheeks. He bursts from the briar patch and tumbles onto a trail. The hooves of the black horse chasing Cooper rip underbrush. A spur digs into the snorting steed's already bleeding flank. The pursuer's gloved hand draws a sword, blade ringing as it is unsheathed. On the trail, Cooper runs onward. The shrill whistle of a sword swinging distracts Cooper as the pursuer catches up to him, swinging the sword down upon Coopers neck, his head lolls back, as his head rolls off his shoulders and his body collapses to the ground.

* * *

Santana follows Noah Puckerman out to the stables. Santana can't help but acknowledge that Noah is a dashing Jewish man, somewhat egotistical, but dashing none the less. His young family reside in the house above the stables, where his wife Quinn works from home as a midwife and home schools their daughter Quinn. Santana can't help but like the charming family. Though the same can't be said for the horse Noah is presenting to her.

"His name's Gunpowder." Noah tells Santana proudly as he gives Gunpowder a snack. Santana eyes the horse sceptically

"A brave name, but... have you got something a little younger? Taller?"

"Faster?" Noah says

"Yes."

"A horse that can out run any animal?"

"Yes. Precisely"

"I think I have the horse of your dreams"

"Really?"

"Yes, I have no reason to lie to you?"

"Where is it then?"

"Right here" Noah slaps gunpowder's rear end. Santana just glares at Puck.

" Well... I'm sure he'll do very well. Thank you Puckerman"

"Good luck, constable. If you need help, just holler at el Puckerone." Santana narrows her eyes again

"Much appreciated."

Santana notices Quinn appear from nowhere and watches as Quinn feeds the horses and gives them a pat. A small smile creeps upon her lips. Quickly dashed as Puckerman catches her.

Quinn opens the window up stairs and leans out the window to holler at Quinn

"Quinn! Get up here!"

Noah approaches Quinn and takes the bucket she is carrying from her hands.

"Go up for your breakfast, Quinn. Kiss your mother once for you and twice for me." Quinn smiles lovingly up at her father then runs up stairs. As the girl goes, Santana has a thought.

"Mr. Puckerman, I was thinking... about the old widow." Noah looks at Santana quizzically

"Old Widow?"

"Widow Pillsbury" Noah shakes his head and pinches the bridge of his nose

"Who told you she was old? She was comely. Widowed young."

Santana is surprised. But before she can react further, a distant gunshot is heard a signal followed by the distant sight of a man on horseback, hurrying and shouting, waving his rifle. Noah and Santana watch the rider coming, telling the news as he comes.

"Murder, murder! The Horseman has killed again!"

Jacobi Pierce stands in a semi-circle around the body of Cooper Anderson. Turning to address the group

"Mr. Hudson - ride back for the, coffin cart - the rest of you keep a sharp lookout."

The tall man jumps up on his horse and rides back into town. The others ignore what Jacobi had asked and watch as the doctor Mike Chang turns over the headless corpse of Cooper Anderson. He straightens the body reverently. Everyone is shocked and spooked, looking fearfully around as the sound of hooves breaks the silence. Everyone reacts by pulling their rifles out but lowers them when they realise it is Santana. Artie starts openly laughing. Jacobi glares at Artie's disrespectful manner.

"A fine looking steed Lopez."

Santana dismounts Gunpowder, ignoring Artie. She glances around the forest; New York was never like this. Not once did she have to work in the depths of the forest. She approaches the body as Mike Chang stands beside her

"The fourth victim, Cooper Anderson"

"And... the head...?" Santana asks carefully. Sam Evans the only one to answer her

"Taken."

Santana scans the men's faces, Doctor Chang seems unprofessionally jittery. Kurt Hummel grasps Sam by the arm. Sam shakes him off and pulls out a flask. Santana takes note of this. Their behaviour seems to him to be odd. Santana shakes the strange vibe she is getting and continues with the task at hand.

"Interesting... very interesting."

Jacobi eyes Santana warily

"What is?"

"In headless corpse cases of this sort the head is removed to prevent identification of the body."

Kurt looks at Santana quizzically

"But we know this is Cooper Anderson"

"Exactly! So, why was the head removed?

They all wait for enlightenment from Santana but she ignores them. They all watch Santana as she analyses the scene. Sam takes nips from his flask as he watches. Santana turns to them

"Who moved the body?"

Mike Chang clears his throat

"I did."

Santana approaches the man furiously Mike shrinks back

"You must never move the body!"

Santana turns back to the body and notices a huge, deep hoof print. She kneels down, pulls her satchel off her shoulder, and takes out a bowl, bottle of water and a bag of powder. The others watch, finding this bizarre, as Santana begins mixing the water and powder, making plaster.

"What is that potion?" Artie asks confused

"You are the blacksmith, are you not Artie? Ever shoe a horse with a hoof this large?"

Santana asks as she continues make the plaster then moves to the hoof print and pours the plaster over it.

"It's huge." Artie exclaims begrudgingly

Santana shoulders her satchel, walks all around, studies the ground,

Kicks away leaves and then lopes around puzzlingly. The watchers are

Astonished by her antics as she leaps from hoof print to hoof print.

Mike mutters under his breath to Sam "The woman's a fool."

"She's a fool and we're damn fools, but death will make us all equal" The now drunk Sam replies Doctor Chang impatiently hushes him and turns away to watch Santana again.

"The stride is gigantic" she mutters to herself. Santana stops, turns, following back to way she came speaking as she does.

"The attacker rode Mister Anderson down, turned his horse, and came back." Santana stops her ministrations

"Came back to claim the head. Head taken. Big horse." She pauses to contemplate the motive

"Did this man have any enemies?"

"Well, someone obviously didn't like him." The drunken Sam sniggers. Santana ignores him as she thinks of something.

"Flanagan, can you show me where the neck rested when you found him."

Rory points to a spot not far from where the body now rested. Santana strides over and opens her satchel, takes out a bottle of green powder. She uncorks the bottle, sprinkles a thin layer of powder on the dirt, and watches as a reaction causes the powder to bubble a little.

"A chemical reaction, it shows there was just a smear of blood, no more."

"I didn't see any." Sam slurs

Santana is puzzled at the statement. She takes odd spectacles from her satchel, wire-framed with many lenses. She fumbles putting them on and begins examining the neck wound. She then takes a scissor mechanism tool that tapes off into tiny jaws from her satchel. She uses it, to pick at the flesh. Through her magnifying spectacles she gets a fright as she sees a huge bug feeding on the wound. Santana squeals and leaps up. The men look at her, as Artie starts laughing. Regaining her composure she removes the glasses from her eyes.

"Interesting"

"What is it? "

Something catches Santana's attention on the ground. Squinting at the ground Santana uses her booted foot to squash and grind the bug, which had caused her to squeal.

"The wound was cauterized in the very instant. As though the blade itself were red hot and yet, no blistering, no scorched flesh."

The men stare at Santana awkwardly. The Irish priest yells, his voice echoing through the dark woods

"The Devils fire!"

* * *

Santana approaches the cemetery to pay her respects to Cooper Anderson's family. Though she never met Cooper she felt compelled to attend. Rory Flanagan stands over the grave

"Be sober, be vigilant... "As it sayeth in the book of Peter, chapter five, verse eight - "because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may deliver our... "

Santana stands back from the crowd observing everyone carefully. Artie stands beside Brittany, who wipes tears. Artie puts his arm around Brittany, comforting her. Finn and Noah are nearby with rifles over their shoulders.

People start shuffling away from the graveside, Santana had been so preoccupied with her analysing she had not realised that the funeral was done. People quickly moved to leave the cemetery.

Santana turns to leave also, but a hand grabs her wrist. She spins around and is at eye level with a teenage boy

"Constable Lopez, ma'am" he says

Santana eyes the young man taking in his features

"You are Young Anderson..."

"I was Young Anderson, but now I am the only one. Blaine Anderson at your service, in honour bound to avenge my brother." He bows slightly. Santana smiles at that

"Well, one-and-only Anderson, I thank you, but your mother will need you more than I." she replies kindly

"My mother is in heaven, ma'am, and has my father and now brother to care for her. But, you have no one to serve you, and I am your man."

"And a brave man too, but I cannot be the one to look after you. I am sorry for your loss, young Mister Anderson."

Santana moves away, watched disconsolately by Blaine. As she walks toward the exit she finds her sleeve furtively plucked by Sam Evans.

"Constable…."

"Mr. Evans?" Santana replies raising an eyebrow. Sam looks around anxiously making sure nobody can hear them.

"There's something you should know. Cooper Anderson was not the fourth victim. He was the fifth"

"The fifth?" Santana asks as a strange expression crosses Sam's face.

"Five victims in four graves!"

"But, wait. What?" she asks exasperatedly

Sam tenses as he notices that Father Flanagan has noticed the encounter. He breaks off and scuttles away. Santana turns his gaze toward the fresh grave of Cooper Anderson, and the three other graves almost as recent: The Schuester' are just receiving their brand new headstones, and Widow Pillsbury's grave is marked for the present by a simple wooden cross with her name on it.

Santana notices Noah and nods to him.

"Mr Puckerman. I will need the help you offered after all."

* * *

Santana lifts the lid of a large feed bin half full of horse feed. And finds Blaine Anderson curled up inside like a mouse in a nest. Homeless. Blaine looks up at her startled.

"Find a place in the Pierce's servant quarters. Wake me before dawn. I hope you have a strong stomach."

Without further acknowledgement of Blaine, Santana turns on her heel and stalks away.

"Thank you, ma'am" Blaine calls after her.

* * *

Santana and Blaine stand in the morning cold at the ever spooky cemetery watching as Finn Hudson and Noah Puckerman pull up the last of the four coffins. Pulling out a crowbar, Noah moves forward as he wrenches the lid of the muddy coffin open. Santana inspects the contents of the coffin. The headless corpse of Schuester resides in the coffin on its lonesome. Noah holds a lantern and a spade. Santana, holding a handkerchief to her face, looks closer into the open coffin. Young Anderson is watching uneasily. This is why Blaine would need a "strong stomach." He gags, almost pukes. At Santana's nod, Noah replaces the lid. There are two more coffins and two more piles of dirt, one coffin for Timothy Schuester and one for Widow Pillsbury.

Santana moves to the second coffin. It contains a headless corpse of a male. Just the one. Sighing Santana nods, and the lid is replaced. The third coffin is opened by Finn Hudson. Santana takes the lantern from Noah and looks expectantly as the lid comes off. The Widow's headless corpse is alone in the coffin.

Sighing in defeat Santana nods her head, indicating that she had all she needed. As she turns to leave her eyes widen. Turing back round she grabs Finn's arm stopping him from nailing the coffin closed.

"Wait" she says quietly

Santana takes out a small penknife and cuts through the shroud. She reveals the belly. She stares at it. Was she pregnant? It's impossible to tell. But there is the wound of a sword stab in the stomach. Suddenly there is a screech, which seems to come from the corpse, giving heart attacks all around - but now we see a "ghost" holding a lantern. It's Father Rory Flanagan who has discovered them and is shrieking in outrage.

"Sacrilege! Sacrilege!"

"Science, its science, Father Flanagan. Someone in Sleepy Hollow is using the Horseman story for his own murderous purpose, and I intend to dig it out." Santana retorts.

Rory froths at the mouth and storms off.

Finn, Noah and Blaine carry the Widow's muddy coffin into the doctor's office. Doctor Chang watches in horror, sweating profusely, freaked out by the sight before him. Santana follows the men in, the Doctor quickly approaches her.

"This is most irregular, Constable."

"I should hope so. But in this case, necessary." She replies grimly. The men put the coffin down on a surgical table.

"I will need to operate." Santana states to no one in particular

"Operate? She's dead!" Mike replies, confused.

"When we say "operate," we mean, of course. I'll need the operating table. "Turning to Blaine she continues "Lay the widow out, please." Noting Blaine's apprehension she smiles encouragingly at him "Go on, nothing to be afraid of."

Noah moves to help Blaine lay the widows body out as Santana gets herself a drink of water and begins to study her journals.

"There is a common thread between these victims."

"And what's that?" Mike asks

"I am unsure"

She goes to examine the corpse. Blaine retreats to a corner, ill at ease as Santana begins talking to herself.

"Once more, the neck wound cauterized. The sword thrust to the stomach, the same, perhaps by chemical means. But to what purpose?"

Santana gingerly feels the corpse's stomach. Doctor Chang watches.

"To what is your purpose, is the question."

Santana takes a rolled velvet cloth from her satchel, and unrolls it, revealing standard surgical instruments you would expect a doctor to have and then some particularly strange instruments, rib spreaders and curved clamps.

Mike stands behind Santana looking at the instruments

"What manner of instruments are those?"

Santana clears her throat embarrassed

"Some of my own design." She picks through her instruments, unsure as to where to start. She looks at the corpse for a moment then turns to the men.

"Step outside gentlemen. Thank you for your help, Noah and Finn. And, if you do not mind, Doctor Chang, my concentration suffers when I am observed."

She watches as Noah, Finn, Blaine and Doctor Chang go. She quickly returns to her satchel, pulling out a book on Human Anatomy. She searches the pages, flipping through pages filled with drawings of the human anatomy then sets the book open nearby so she can refer to it. She picks up a knife, stands at the corpse, taking a deep uncertain breath. Santana cuts into the Widow's belly, but stops, looking horrified at what she's done. She leans closer to study the book again, worried she made a mistake seeing that she hadn't, Santana makes another incision looking down at the wound feeling queasy.

Blaine sits on the steps outside the doctor's office waiting for Santana to finish. Doctor Chang stands with a hung over Sam Evans, Father Flanagan and Kurt Hummel, speaking agitatedly. The door to the doctor's residence opens and Santana steps out, covered in blood, visibly shaken, futilely wiping at the mess with a blood-covered cloth, looking up she acknowledges those gathered. All attention goes to Santana. Everyone's horrified at her appearance more than anything...

"I am finished" She says quietly

"What in God's name have you done to her?" Rory exclaims in his thick accent, he turns to Sam angrily

"Magistrate Evans, you are the word of law here. Put her in irons!"

Sam and Santana exchange a look. Sam takes a nip from his flask.

"And what did you find out, Constable?" he asks ignoring the angered Irishman

"That there are not four victims but five. The Widow Pillsbury was with child!"

Mike Chang growls and steps forward threateningly

"What of it? She should have been left to make her peace with God and not cut to bits by the Constabulary!"

Santana is shaken for a moment. Not expecting this sort of outburst by the Asian doctor. She shakes her head and continues

"The sword was thrust into the womb and no farther. A symbolic murder. Gentlemen we are dealing with a madman."

* * *

Later that night Santana makes her way back to the Pierce residence after having dinner with the Puckerman's. The pale moonlight. Her only source of light. Santana rides Gunpowder across the covered bridge. Following the road, Santana is lost in thought. The clopping of hoof beats on the bridge behind her distracts her from her thoughts. She turns to look and the hoof beats stop. No one can be seen in the dark mouth of the bridge. Santana frowns

"Who's there?" She demands but is given no answer. Turning she faces forward, continuing to the forest. She hums a tune to herself. After a moment, she is silenced by a horse snorting and hoof beats picking up speed. Santana stops Gunpowder. A dark figure on horseback comes out from the darkness of the bridge, slowly. The blood from Santana's face drains

"Who are you?" she demands again.

The figure comes into moonlight, on a black horse, smoke somehow rises from it; a dark figure, cloaked and headless. Santana panics, kicking Gunpowder to flee. The figure takes off to follow. Santana whips Gunpowder's reins, gasping, moving faster. The figure behind, also picks up speed. Gunpowder carries Santana into the forest. The headless figure is right behind, cloak flowing. The headless figure lets out a hellish cry of rage. Santana whimpers as she glances fearfully over her shoulder. A horrible face with flaming eyes and mouth rushes forward and smashes into Santana sending her sprawling to the ground in an explosion of red hot ash and cinders. Santana rolls, shaken. Looking behind. The trail is empty. Santana stands, looking down at the remnants of a broken Jack-o-lantern and smouldering ball of paper on the trail. The figure rides to a halt, throws off a cloak and "headless" disguise; it's Artie. Artie laughs, but when he looks back, the smile leaves his face. He takes grim satisfaction in what he's done. Santana's face is haunted, running with the sweat of fear she is still trembling from the experience.

Small child steps forward walking towards a small cottage an elder females voice rings out

"Santana! Santana!"

The woman is blindfolded as she stands in the doorway arms out expectantly. A young Santana, runs toward her, with a little bunch of wildflowers.

The Latin Woman remains blindfolded playing the Pickety Witch Game with Santana. She is laughing, scared as she grabs the air looking for Santana. She is

Holding the wildflowers she picked. She seizes her, kisses her and

Takes off the blindfold. Revealing a beautiful Latin woman, Santana's Mother, she has a kind and lovely face. She gives her Mother the flowers. She puts one of the flowers in her hair, laughing. But the others she throws on the fire and she crouches at the hearthstone, beckoning her, Santana goes to her, without hesitation. As the flowers burn, they give off smoky fumes, which her Mother

Inhales like perfume, closing her eyes in a trance. Santana watches

Fascinated as she picks up a twig and starts drawing pictures strange designs in the layer of ash on the hearthstone. Suddenly Santana turns her head to the door, which is opening but no one is entering. Santana's mother is "awakened" by this, just in time as her Father, a grim Parson all in black, enters. Santana looks up frightened at the face of her Father.

Santana is startled awake, frightened, sweating. She catches her breath and decides to head down stairs to calm down. She enters the kitchen with a lantern and his Ledger. She sits, studies her notes, and then notices a light down the hall. Getting up she moves towards the room and enters. She spies Brittany reading by candlelight.

Brittany looks up, and self-consciously closes her book. She covers it on her lap. Santana shuffles her feet awkwardly

"Oh... pardon my intrusion... I saw a light..." Brittany smiles at her

"It is no intrusion. I come here to read when I am wakeful." Santana raises an eye brow

"To read books which you must hide?" she asks confusedly. Brittany lets out a small sigh

"They were my mother's books. My father frowned at them then, and would frown at me now. He believes tales of romance caused the brain fever that killed my mother. She died two years ago come midwinter." Brittany looks longingly at the candle flickering. Santana nods,

"I saw it written in the front of the Bible."

"The nurse who cared for her during her sickness is now Lady Pierce." Santana nods again

"I have a semi-related, semi-unrelated question; why did nobody tell me the Schuester and the Pierce's were related?" Brittany chuckles at this question

"Why, because there is hardly a household in Sleepy Hollow that is not connected to every other by blood or marriage. I have more cousins than fingers and toes to count them on."

"I see."

"This land was Schuester' Land, given to my father when I was in swaddling clothes."

"Given by the dead Schuester?" Santana questions as Brittany nods

"The Schuester' were the richest family round these parts even then. When my father brought us to Sleepy Hollow, Schuester set him up with an acre and a broken-down cottage, and a dozen of Schuester hens. My father prospered, and built us a new house. I owe my happiness to him. I remember living poor in the cottage. Should I show you?" Brittany ends with an air of excitement, Santana smiles at her childlike manner

"Yes. I would like to see where you were as poor as I am."

Brittany stands up, revealing a Book that had been on the floor, hidden by her skirt. She picks up the book and gives it to Santana.

"Take this. It is my gift for you."

Santana looks at the title page: A COMPENDIUM OF SPELLS, CHARMS ANDWILLIAMICES OF THE SPIRIT WORLD. Santana looks at Brittany strangely

"But I have no use for..."Santana starts but Brittany interrupts

"Are you so certain of everything?"

Santana sees that Brittany's name is written on the endpaper, and, in a different hand, her mother's name, "Anna Pierce."

"It was your mother's?" Brittany nods

"Keep it close to your heart. It is sure protection against harm." Santana smiles then raises an eyebrow at Brittany

"Are you so certain of everything?"

"Their eyes meet and hold for a moment. Santana accepts the book by placing it on the desk."

* * *

Santana decides to go for a walk through the town to clear her head. Her brain feels as though it is about to explode or implode. She can't quite determine which way it was to go. Her conversation with Brittany had bought up several different things that she was unsure about pertaining to both the case and something else that she could not place. A feeling of warmth that she could not explain.

Kicking a stone along the dirt road she spies a house with men pacing backwards and forwards past the window. As she approaches the house some more she starts to hear loud voices, obviously an argument. Spying through the window careful not to be seen she sees Sam Evans is packing his bags, while three Men, Father Flanagan, Doctor Chang and Notary Hummel, and are in agitated conference. Their raised voices make an undecipherable hubbub.

Flanagan comes right to the window as if he has seen something. Santana quickly ducks hoping not to be seen by the Catholic Priest. Not seeing anything of particular interest Rory merely closes the shutters.

Santana Frowns as the argument dies down and continues on her walk. Half an hour later as she turns to walk back to the Pierce residence, she spies a blonde man approaching on a heavily loaded Pack Horse. Santana screws her face up in confusion as she watches him making his getaway from Sleepy Hollow. Santana runs to catch up with Sam grabbing the bridle of the Pack Horse.

"What are you doing? Let go!" Sam growls at Santana, giving her a look of disgust, apprehension and agitation

"What are you running from, Trouty Mouth?" Santana smirks at his glare

"Damn you, Lopez..." Sam yells at her. Santana raises her eyebrow at him

"Careful, you'll raise the village." Santana warns. Sam calms down not wanting to cause a scene. Simply just wanting to disappear.

"You had a mind to help me." Santana continues.

"Yes" Sam sighs "and I put myself in mortal dread of powers against which there is no defence."

"How did you know the widow was expecting a child?" Santana asks taking the opportunity to question Magistrate Evans before he vanishes.

"She told me." He replies plainly. Santana watches him and bites her lip

"Then I deduce you are the father." Sam chuckles at Santana

"I hope your deductions serve you better in your contest against the Hessian. I am not the father." Santana narrows her eyes

"Did she tell you the name of the child's father?"

"Yes she did. She came to me for advice as the town magistrate."

Santana turns her head at looks around as Sam's attention is distracted by the sounds of agitated sheep in the distance. Sam continues to answer Santana's question, when he realises it is just sheep making the noises

"As I was saying, she came to me for advice as the town magistrate to protect the rights of her child. I was bound by my oath of office to keep the secret." Santana nods at Sam in understanding

"Do you believe the father killed her?" Sam stares at Santana in shock

"The Horseman killed her! You damn fool; do you suppose the Horseman stops to impregnate our women?" Santana rolls her eyes in frustration

"The Horseman? How often do I have to tell you there is no Horseman! There never was a Horseman! - and there never will be a Horseman!" she practically yells at Sam, She then grabs him fiercely, pulling on an amulet that Sam wears around his neck. Sam starts to push her away

"Let go! It is my talisman that protects me from the Horseman!"

"How did you become the town's magistrate? With your head full of such nonsense! Now tell me the name of… "Santana stops mid-sentence as a flock of sheep comes streaming and bleating across the path. Sam's horse starts to go crazy, braying and rearing. Thundering hoof beats are heard from a hammering the ground in the distance. The wind begins to pick up. Sam looks around and stares deep in to the forest. A flock of bird's shoots into the dark night sky cawing.

Sam's eyes grow in size and he starts shaking

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god..." he chants as he turns and begins to run away. The hoof beats in the distance quickly become louder and closer. Santana turns to look at the forest. When the forest magically explodes open, foliage bending to make way as the headless horseman gallops into view atop a large black stallion. Santana stands stunned. She looks down to draw his flintlock pistol, but the Horseman races by before she can raise it. The blast of air as the Horseman passes knocks her off her feet. Santana looks up as The Horseman chases Sam Evans.

Sam looks over his shoulder tears streaming from his eyes as the Horseman approaches drawing his sword. Sam gathers his courage and stops, turning. He raises his iron key talisman before him. The Horseman is closing in on him

Santana's eyes widen at the scene before her and she yells

"EVANS!"

Sam continues to hold the talisman up, trying to be fearless. The Horseman swings his sword upon the talisman; Santana closes her eyes as the sword makes a whooshing noise, then a loud clank rings out. Opening her eyes she watches as Sam's severed head spins falling to the ground. His body falls and folds. The two pieces of his Talisman, an Iron Key, fly through the air, toward Santana, who is desperately trying to get to her feet and find her pistol.

The Horseman turns his horse in a wide circle Letting out a loud neigh the horse starts to gallop towards Santana, eyes widening again, she grabs at her pistol but before she has time to take aim, the Horseman is upon her and quickly passes her heading toward Sam's corpse. The Horseman leans effortlessly to skewer Sam's head with his sword. With the head as his prize, the Horseman races away. Santana turns and watches the Horseman head to the forest. She stands watching the now quiet forest and then, without warning faints.

* * *

Knocking rings out through the quiet room, Santana sits upright in a fright.

"Constable Lopez...?" The sound of a muffled male voice pierces the silence of the room. Santana catches her breathe and looks at her hand balled into a fist. She opens her hand and realises she holds both halves of Sam Evan's talisman.

On the other side of the door Blaine Anderson is seated by the closed door. Brittany is backing up Jacobi, who knocks again.

"Has he not come out at all?" Jacobi asks with a concerned voice

Blaine simply shakes his head.

Jacobi turns and looks at Brittany who holds her bottom lip with her teeth. He turns and slowly enters Santana's room. Brittany and Blaine follow him, cautiously. Santana quickly sits up in bed, stunned, spaced out.

"It was a Headless Horseman!" Santana cries in horror

"You must not excite yourself Constable." Jacobi calmly replies. Santana shakes her head eyes wide.

"But it was Headless Horseman!" Jacobi places a hand gently on her shoulder to try and calm the young woman.

"Of course it was dear." He says soothingly

"No, you must believe me, it was Horseman! A dead one! Headless! A horseman. Headless! A HEADLESS HORSEMAN!" She cries again. Jacobi sighs

"I know, I know..." Santana shakes her head at him again

"You don't know because you weren't there! But it's all true!"

"Of course it is. I told you! Everyone told you!"

"I saw him!" Santana flails her arms around in hysterics "A HEADLESS HORSEMAN!" She yells, her eyes roll up into the back of her head and she faints. Brittany and Blaine look helplessly at each other.

"I suppose it's back to the City, then." Blaine sighs and stars at the floor upset.

Brittany deep blue eyes stare at the young Hispanic woman passed out on her bed. Relief floods her that Santana is alright, but the thought of Santana leaving already filled her with a strange feeling. Sadness perhaps?

* * *

Jacobi, Father Flanagan, Doctor Chang and Notary Hummel are having another meeting, this time with Lady Pierce and Brittany on hand with the drinks.

"Right, this time I'll go to New York myself and I won't be fobbed off with an amateur deductor." Jacobi proclaims

"Detector." Kurt Hummel corrects him.

"No, no, Deductive." Rory corrects again. Mike Chang shakes his head

"No... No... You are all wrong" But before Mike can throw in the rest of his input Jacobi Pierce interrupts

"An amateur sleuth! This time it's a magistrate that's dead and..."

The door is flung open without ceremony. Santana storms in enthusiastically with Blaine round-eyed just behind her.

"Gentlemen! - I need able men, to go with me to the Western Woods. Who will be the first to volunteer?" She declares. The men look at her apprehensively

"You...? We thought you'd shot your bolt..." Jacobi replies cautiously. Santana laughs heartily at him and smiles. Creeping those in the room out

"A setback, merely. And yet, a step forward too - we now know who has done these terrible –"

Rory raises an eyebrow in suspicion "But, you now know, we already knew." Santana smiles at him

"Quite so - and now it seems fate has chosen me to make my name in a case without parallel in the annals of crime - in short, to pit myself against a murdering ghost."

Brittany looks at Santana unsettled by her enthusiasm.

"But Santana, I mean Miss Lopez, I mean Lopez constable." Brittany becomes flustered "CONSTABLE LOPEZ" she declares "You can't. Just no." She blushes as she catches Santana's eye and looks down at her hands. Lady Pierce chuckles to herself at the scene before her. Taking the attention from Brittany she continues the conversation

"Do you intend to arrest him? Or impound his horse?"

The Men chuckle indulgently at the Lady's quick wit. Brittany lets out a small growl. Santana continues to smile and shakes her head

"Neither. I intend to put an end to the killing. To discover the cause and remove it. Who's with me?"

The room falls silent as they all stare at Santana as if she has lost her mind.

* * *

Santana and Blaine ride together through the forest. Not one person in the small village wanted to help them. Believing Santana to be crazed a delusional. They move slowly through the woods, watching as it gets darker, each tree gnarlier then the last. The deeper the ventured the stranger the noises from the animals that inhabit the forest.

"The Schuester', the Widow Pillsbury, your brother, Cooper Anderson... and now Sam Evans' something must connect them. Can you think?"

Blaine looks at Santana solemnly and shakes his head

"We had no dealings with the magistrate that I know of."

"And the widow? Your bother knew her?" Santana asks softly. Blaine simply shrugs his shoulders

"Everyone knew Widow Pillsbury." Santana nods. Of course everyone knew her. It's difficult to live in such a small town without knowing everyone. Even Santana had met everyone. Blaine hums and continues

"She would bring old Schuester a basket of eggs each day."

"Did your father have dealings with the Schuester'?"

Looking surprised by her question Blaine smiles slightly

"He worked for them; we lived in the coach house."

Santana halts her horse, surprised and stares at Blaine as he brings his horse to a stop. After a moment they resume riding

"It's nothing, there were many servants... all dismissed now, of course. But there was something happened one night, a week before the murder. An argument upstairs between father and son, and my father were later sent for by Mr. Schuester'."

"An argument between father and son? After which, the elder Schuester' summoned his servant, Anderson…?"

Blaine halts his horse and looks around. Santana follows suit and raises an eyebrow questioningly at him. Blaine raises his finger to stop her from asking the question evident upon her face

"Listen."

Santana looks around trying to hear whatever it was that Blaine was hearing

"I hear nothing."

"Nor I, no birds, no crickets. Everything has gone quiet. It's all gone so quiet."

Santana nods her head anxiously

"You're right." She mutters as she gees up the horses. They break into a gallop. Santana and Blaine reach a hill crest. They stop, uneasy. Below, there is a cave with a rock archway. An ill-fitting door covers the mouth. The chimney spews smoke. Santana and Blaine share a fearful look. They then dismount their horses, tying them to a nearby tree, and then head towards the cave, approaching the cave door Santana hesitantly knocks. The door is ajar... Santana looks at Blaine then cautiously steps in and takes in her surroundings. Not far behind her Blaine does the same. The walls are hung with skins and skeletons of various deceased animals. Across the cave, a crone sits facing away, motionless. Blaine and Santana look to each other, fearful. Taking a step forward, Santana clears her throat

"Pardon my intrusion."

The Crone, with grey hair and grey features, sits disinterested. Santana carefully approaches the crone unsure as to whether she is alive, or dead.

"You are from the Hollow?" The woman's raspy voice rings out, sounding as though she hasn't talked to anybody nor used her voice in centuries

"In a way, yes. I, um..." Santana shuffles from left foot to right foot in nervousness. Her eyes gazing upon the contents of the gourd bowls upon a table, spying different bugs and animal organs. Pulling her bottom lip in between her teeth she contemplates what to say.

"I should like to say... um... I make no assumptions about your occupation, no, your ways, witch -which - which are nothing to me... um... whatever you are, each to his own, um..."

The Crone places something on a table beside her, Santana see's the striking crimson colour of a Cardinal. Eye's widening Santana takes a step back preparing to retreat from the cave, but Blaine comes to stand beside her.

"Do you know of the Horseman, ma'am? The Hessian." He asks the woman gently. Santana fiddles with her thumbs uncomfortable being here still. The Crone draws her finger across her neck.

"That'll be him, miss." Blaine states in acknowledgment of the Witches gesture. Santana glances at the Crone around her neck is a cord on which is threaded a carved stone, a mystic bauble. Santana admires it. The Crone stands, faces them, standing taller than expected. She then points to Santana.

"You, follow with me." Then turning to Blaine she gives of a chillingly warm smile "Go out, child. Keep away. No matter what you hear, keep away."

She then takes a candle and heads deeper into the cave. The Crone enters through a passage, Santana follows, both terrified and mystified, bent under the low ceiling.

"Um... what might he hear that he must keep away from?" She asks quietly. Instead of answering the woman points her finger at a stool.

"Sit there."

Santana sits on the crooked stool. The Crone kneels with her back to her and grasps two metal cuffs with chains attached. She then slides these onto her wrists, testing them.

"He rides, to the Hollow and back. I hear him. I smell the blood on him."

"Do... do you? Well... I'm here to find him and... Err... make him stop." Santana stutters."

"You want to see into the netherworld? I can show you..."

The Crone gathers straw in a pile on the floor, and then gathers bowls, putting grass and powder on the pile, withering over it. She takes a jar from a table. Santana watches the woman, with apprehension growing ever stronger with each of the woman's movements

"What... what are you doing?"

The Crone shakes one jar, pulls the lid off and upends it. A baby bat squirms, dazed. The Crone grips the bat, uses a knife to cut off its head, and soaks the straw with blood.

"Do not move or speak. When the other comes, I will hold him." The Crone simply states, then using her candle, the Crone lights the straw pile. Santana looks at her oddly

"The other?"

Instead of answering her question, the Crone leans forward and inhales the smoke emanating from the straw pile.

"He comes now."

Santana looks at the woman wide eyed. The Crone slumps forward to the floor, suddenly immobile, still with her back to Santana. WIND HOWLS through a broken window. Santana looks around, uncertain as to what happened she stands and clear her throat

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

The Crone remains motionless. The wind outside intensifies and the candles lighting the room blow out. Santana inches closer...

"Do you hear me?"

The Crone suddenly jumps erect, spinning. Turning into a half-human, half-demon creature with black clawed hands reaching for Santana. Santana screams, leaping backwards. The chains on the cuffs around the creature's hands go taut, yanking the creature back. Santana knocks over a table of bones and hits the floor. The creature is chained, but still wants Santana. It lets out a blood curdling shriek. The creature's face still seethes from transformation.

"You seek the warrior bathed in blood? The Headless Horseman."

Santana scrambles back as far as possible. The creature claws the rock floor, yearning.

"Follow the Indian trail to where the sun dies. Follow to the Tree of the

Dead."

The creature yanks, testing the chains. Behind, the bolt holding the chains slips, making the wall crack a little.

"Climb down to the Horseman's resting place. Do you hear?"

Santana nods, quaking, aghast. She glances to the exit. The chain bolt gives more coming loose. Santana flees toward the door. The creature howls, leaping as the chain bolt breaks. Santana cries out as she is tackled to the floor. Santana glances at the creature that just tackled her and notes it is only the crone lying on him; she has returned to a semiconscious human form. Santana desperately shoves her off, then sprints out from the cave, past Blaine

"We are leaving." She states seriously

"What happened?" Blaine asks curiously

"We are leaving now." Santana offers no explanation

Santana scrambles onto Gunpowder, riding, glancing back. Blaine quickly follows. After a few moments of silence, Santana starts muttering to herself.

"Take the Indian trail to the Tree of the Dead... "Blaine looks at her oddly

"How will we recognize it?" He asks her

"Without difficulty I rather fear. And "Climb down to the Horseman's resting place... "She said." Santana continues

"His camp?" Blaine guesses. Santana shakes her head

"His grave."

In the distance a branch snapping pierces the air. Santana sits up stiffly and looks around, turning to Blaine she whispers

"Let's move faster"

Blaine nods at her as they begin to move through the woods quickly. They charge over a steep hill. Santana quickly halts Gunpowder, climbs clumsily off and hands the reins to Blaine.

"Keep going. I'll catch up"

Blaine nods his head and takes off. Santana takes out her pistol and wades into forest growth, backtracking. Santana moves through underbrush, keeping low and unseen. She freezes when she hears a horse snorting nearby. Holding her breathe she takes a few moments and then forges on, pushes through branches, fearful as to who is there. She comes up behind a tall figure in a dark cloak on brilliantly white horse, raising her pistol and aiming it, Santana cocks the hammer.

"Halt and turn! I have a pistol aimed."

The figure stops and pushes off the cloak hood. Santana freezes as bright blue eyes stare back at her; a small smirk crosses the figures lips

"It's me." Santana shakes her head becoming acutely aware that she has her pistol still aimed. She lowers her arm and moves closer

"Brittany! I might have killed you. Why have you come?"

"Because no one else would go with you." She smiles a little. Santana is feels warmth flood through her body at Brittany's simple statement.

"I am now twice the woman." She smiles shyly and takes Brittany's hand "It is your white magic." She moves forward slowly about to turn this moment into a kiss.

"Pardon my intrusion." Blaine's voice hesitantly cracks through, breaking the moment. The girls both jump apart slightly. Santana dropping Brittany's hand.

"I think you'd better come and look at this."

The two follow Blaine closely. They enter a clearing and look up at wonder at. The monstrously huge tree in front of them, right in the clearings centre. Its branches reach far and wide, knotted and gross, like agony captured in wood sculpture.

"The Tree of the Dead." Blaine whispers

"Well, it's defiantly not subtle" Brittany mutters somewhat spooked by the tree's appearance.

Santana moves forward crossing some sort of line beyond which grass and weeds will not grow. Blaine and Brittany follow closely behind. Santana stares up into the endless, dead canopy of branches. There's a vertical wound in the bark, like a terrible suture, now healed and scarred. Santana approaches the tree and runs her finger over the mushy scar, picking at its scabs till sap begins to run. Red Sap. Coating her fingers in the sap, she then sniffs it. And screws up her face in disgust.

"Blood."

"A tree that bleeds? How is that even possible?" Brittany asks as she moves closer to inspect the tree

Santana stares at the tree deep in thought, and then drops her satchel to the ground, rummaging through it until she finds what she is looking for. Blaine watches the scene unfolding before him. Santana pulls out a small axe and moves towards a the tree

"Stay here." She warns Brittany and Blaine as she moves closer to the tree, at the trunk, Santana thumps the flat end of the axe against the suture. It sounds hollow. She then takes her bottom lip between her teeth, takes a breath and starts swinging her axe. She chops into the suture repeatedly and pulls away loose bark. The tree drips more blood and strange goo. Feeling somewhat possessed in her task she then uses both hands on the axe to hack at the festering suture. Brittany watches on confused and horrified.

"What are you doing?" she asks concerned

"Just... keep where you are." Santana avoids her question.

Blaine moves closer slowly. Santana ignores the movement and keeps hacking at the tree, then grips a large, loose flap, trying to pull it away, Santana begins to struggle. Brittany follows Blaine's slow advance. Santana's incessant pulling causes the branchy flap to fall away revealing a blood- soaked, wide-eyed, gap-mouthed human head. Santana recoils. Behind her, Brittany stifles a scream. Santana backs off, the back of her hand to her mouth in recognition of whose head it is, Sam Evans. His head hanging off the trunk flap, held by roots grown around and into the flesh. Four other severed decaying heads are held by ingrown roots within the dewy innards. One of the heads is Cooper Anderson's. Before Blaine sees it, Brittany pulls him in for a hug and comforts him. Her bottom lip quivering

"My God" she whispers

"He... he tries to t-t-t-take the heads back with him. " Santana stutters

"We should leave." Brittany whispers. Santana doesn't reply, instead she looks to the branches towering above.

"This must be a gateway. To another world?" she asks to nobody in particular.

Santana studies the ground, circling the trunk. Around the other side, she gets to her knees. She's found the Horsemen's sword used as a grave marker, jutting out from the ground, rusted twenty years' worth, gripped by the tree trunk and vines. Santana runs her hands down the sword. And looks at the grave.

"Blaine, Bring the shovel." When she hears no movement she looks over to Blaine and Brittany and sees Brittany hugging the boy. Feeling bad Santana quickly moves to apologise

"Forgive me... I..." Santana awkwardly begins

Blaine courageously recovers himself, wiping his eyes and nose on the back of his sleeve.

"Yes, sir - the shovel... Two shovels and the rifle, I suggest." He moves and collects the equipment handing it to Santana. Blaine then crouches, rifle across his knees. He watches the tree, looking up at the high branches that swarm with bats. Santana and Brittany dig up the shallow grave.

"This ground has been disturbed, the soil is loose." Brittany frowns as Santana throws down her Shovel. Blaine comes closer to the grave. Santana pulls at thick burlap cloth heavy with dirt, straining as it comes away. Santana drops the burlap, looking down, disbelieving...

"Look at this!"

Roots have gripped the horsemen's bones and tattered uniform. The skeleton is all there - except the skull.

"The skull is gone. What does it mean?" Brittany asks

Santana jumps out from the grave, snapping her fingers in a strangely excited way.

"It means, my dear Miss Pierce, it means, yes! What exactly does it mean? It means, unless I am mistaken... it definitely means something. What that something is, only time will tell! But I sense that we are very close to the answer here, if only we had one more clue." Brittany and Blaine look at Santana strangely. Glancing down at the ground Brittany gasps in horror. Santana stands unaware of the ground writhing below her.

"Santana!" Brittany squeaks. Santana turns and looks at Brittany confused. Brittany and Blaine back away, because the roots in the grave have somehow become alive, entwining around remains. Santana spins to the twisted tree and inspects it. The vertical suture starts pulsing, then pulling inward sucking Sam's head back in and closing. Santana bounds over the grave dirt pile, hastening Brittany and Blaine along as she flees across the field. At the tree, the suture swells. Santana, Brittany and Blaine run to where their horses are tied to a fallen trunk, heading for cover. A rumbling growls out from the tree. The wound suddenly bursts wide, spitting smouldering cinders. At the tree line, Santana, Brittany and Blaine take cover, looking back. From the tree wound, a glow brightens till suddenly the Headless Horseman and his horse Daredevil explode into existence. They hit the ground running. Santana watches the Horseman ride away, bolts of lightning striking the ground behind as the Horseman disappears into the forest.

Santana turns to Blaine in shock

"Did you see that?" he nods grimly at her. Recovering from her shock quickly Santana yells as she gets up and runs towards the horses.

"Take Brittany home!"

"Constable!" Blaine calls after Santana as she hurries away. She ignores him as she jumps on Gunpowder. Forcing him into a sprint.

Trees are silhouetted against the sky. As Daredevil's hoof beats get louder, branches bend like arms and fingers yearning to touch. As the hoof beats roar past, the trees relax. Santana ducks under foliage as she pursues the Horseman. Through the forest ahead the sky is lit up, smoke billowing above the trees. The Crone's cave vomits flame. Santana arrives on Gunpowder, horrified, struggling for control as Gunpowder rears, trying to see through black smoke. Embers swirl everywhere. Santana dismounts, moving closer to the cave... suddenly she slips and Santana falls down, landing very close to the Crone's headless body. Santana recoils, crawling away, looking at the carnage surrounding her in terror. The corpse lies near the cave entrance. The jagged skin of the neck wound still bleeds. The ground and dead leaves around the corpse are thick with blood. Santana crawls back to the Crone, terrified because she has seen a clue. The cord around the Crone's neck has been cut and the Carved Bauble is missing. Santana hears a Horse neighing in the trees... and the sound of the horse crashing through the undergrowth, departing. But she can see nothing.

* * *

Artie, Sebastian and Joe are on patrol tonight. Artie, with a new rifle. They can hear the same horse crashing invisibly through branches, the sound of hooves. They can't tell where the sound is coming from. They look around nervously.

"Split up! He won't get away." Artie commands

The three of them gallop off in three directions. When they clear the frame there is a sound of deep rumbling, the same that had occurred on the night Cooper Anderson had been killed.

* * *

Noah, Quinn and Beth Puckerman sit at their kitchen table finishing their dinner. Beth talking animatedly of her day. Quinn gets up and starts to clear the table as Noah pulls out a knife and starts to pick his teeth with a knife. The same rumbling sound is faintly heard. The glasses on the table shiver audibly. Noah stops picking at his teeth as he notices the dull rumbling. Then just as soon as it had started the phenomenon stops. Noah shrugs to himself and continues picking his teeth.

Beth gets down from her chair. She goes to the fireplace to light a tallow wick, which she takes to the next room. Beth then plops on the floor and lights magic lantern: a lantern with an outer sleeve of glass painted with silhouettes of witches and cats. Beth carefully turns the lantern and looks to the walls where the characters shadows are cast. She watches them carefully, smiling, imagining them real and having a grand time.

Quinn reaches in front of Noah to pick up the last of the dishes on the table and shakes her head

"Don't pick your teeth, it's disgusting and you'll teach Beth bad habits." She warns. Noah chuckles and pulls her to him, playfully.

"I am a bad habit. There's nothing anybody can do about it." He winks at her, Quinn smiles at him and leans down, kissing him softly.

"Oh, isn't there?" Quinn asks with a cheeky smile upon her face.

Behind Noah, mantelpiece stones pulse, breathing. Demonic faces form, then disappear. The wind howls louder.

Beth continues her fun, shadow characters circling her. Quinn enters, looking at Beth, smiling. The magic lantern suddenly stops spinning. The shadows freeze. Quinn looks up, noticing the ferocity of the wind. The smile leaves her face and turns into a frown.

The whole house begins to creak. Noah stands, looking out the window to see the wind has stopped. The trees surrounding the house lay still. Unsettling so. Noah frowns and calls out to Quinn

"Quinn...?"

Quinn picks up Beth. The magic lantern shadow creatures begin spinning anew, quickly, around and around. With a roar, the fire flares. Noah looks at the leaping flames, screwing up his face confused, he seems to see, the demonic faces moulded out of flames. The room goes silent; a pin could be heard dropping. Noah looks around confused still when, the door bursts open and The Horseman steps in, a battle axe in each hand. A strong gust of wind blows into the house and the door to the other room slams shut. Noah grabs a chair from the table and throws it at the Horseman, but the Horseman swings his axe smashing it aside.

Noah yells in desperation to Quinn

"Quinn, run!"

Quinn holds Beth as she back away from the closed door.

"Get out!" Quinn hears Noah yell at her again

Noah grabs an iron skewer from the fireplace and swings it to fend off a blow from the Horseman. The Horseman swings the other axe at him. Noah quickly ducks as the axe cracks fireplace stone, throwing sparks. Noah takes the opportunity and lunges, jamming the skewer into the Horseman. The skewer goes right through the front and out the Horseman's back. The Horseman easily swipes with the flat of one axe hitting Noah and throwing him into a wall smashing his head. He slumps to the floor, unconscious.

The Horseman pulls the skewer out of his body, throws it. He goes to lift Noah by the hair with one hand, brings back the axe in the other hand.

Quinn kicks aside a corner carpet to reveal a trap door. At the trap door, Quinn lowers Beth to stairs leading to a crawl space under the floorboards. Beth starts crying so hysterical it's silent. Quinn rubs her back softly

"Hush, hush. Quiet as a mouse, now." Beth whimpers at her mother and clings to her

"Mommy" Quinn holds on to Beth tightly, savouring the moment.

"You have to hide monkey. Remember, quiet as a mouse. I love you" She kisses Beth softly and lowers Beth down into the crawl space. Quinn closes the trap door, frantically replacing the carpet. The room's door flies open with such force it comes off its hinges. The Horseman strides in, carrying Noah's severed head. Quinn shrieks.

In the distance Artie, hears Quinn's shriek. He turns his horse around and gallops back towards town.

Quinn's scream is abruptly cut off. Beth sees the shadow of Quinn's head rolling across the gaps in the floorboards above her, coming to rest with her hair showing, hanging down in the gap. Footsteps echo in the small crawl space as the Horseman moves to collect Quinn's head.

The Horseman places Noah's and Quinn's heads in a sack, cinching the sack shut. Joining the Crone.

The Headless Horseman turns to leave the house; he bends to retrieve the battle axe he left. He stands silently for a moment.

Beneath the floorboards Beth cowers, trembling.

The Horseman suddenly falls to his knees. He starts to hack at the floor with both axes. Making quick work of it a hole appears as debris falls. Beth looks up terrified. She begins to to crawl away, but the Horseman's arm appears from above, grabbing Beth and yanking her up through the hole.

Artie rides from the forest as fast as his horse will take him. Ahead, at Noah's house, among the scattered homes on the outskirts of town, Daredevil appears from nowhere as the Headless Horseman walks out of the Puckerman house with his sack of heads. The Horseman ties the sack to his saddle and leaps up. Artie races towards the Puckerman's house and stops just short of the Horseman. The Horseman ignores Artie, but, Artie refuses to be ignored. He puts his reins in his mouth, aims his rifle at the horseman and pulls the trigger. The slug blows the Horseman off Daredevil, in an exploding manner. Daredevil keeps running as the the Horseman's smouldering body is left face down on the ground. Artie halts his horse, climbing down with a smile on his face.

The smile is short lived when the Horseman begins to move. Artie backs away, satisfaction diminishing. As the Horseman rises to his knees, Artie falls to one knee and begins reloading filling the gun from his powder horn.

The Horseman stands, unsheathes his sword and turns. The blast has exposed rotten flesh and maggot-infested muscle. Artie readies his ramrod, but there's no time. He rises, hefting his rifle, straight at the Horseman with a yel.

The Horseman is quickly on him, swinging his sword, Artie swings the rifle, blocking. The movements become repetitive. Each swish to maim followed by a clank to block.

At the edge of the forest Santana and Gunpowder appear and see the battle outside the Puckerman's. She cautiously watches from a distance as the Horseman makes a backhanded swing, knocking Artie's rifle away and sending Artie to the ground. The Horseman walks away from Artie. Santana sees this and frowns in confusion. Why wasn't the Horseman decapitating Artie Abrams? She continues to watch, trying to figure out what to do when Artie pulls a knife and throws it. The knife blade goes through the Horseman from back to front, like a spear thrust through a smouldering sack of rotten flesh. The Horseman pulls Artie's knife, blade first, from his chest and turns upon Artie. Artie scrambles up, flees, running toward Noah's. The Horseman throws the knife easily and a thwap echoes around the village as the knife imbeds in Artie's thigh. The Horseman strides towards Artie.

Santana decides she needs to do something other than watch; she closes in, pulling an unlit lantern off her saddle. The Horseman changes his sword grip, blade open, plants one foot on Artie's back, raising his sword to skewer him just as Santana arrives at full gallop smashing the lantern into the Horseman, Knocking the zombie horseman off Artie.

In the distance, Sebastian and Joe arrive on horseback drawn in by the thunderous noises ringing throughout the small village. They halt where they are, watching.

Artie runs, limping to Noah's house, thankful for Noah's farming ways. He reaches the side of the barn and reaches for some farm tools that are propped there. He grabs two scythes with long curved blades, one for each hand.

The Horseman rises again. Santana's eyes grow wide and she leaps off Gunpowder, runs to Artie's side. Once more, the Horseman turns away.

"I'll get him!" Artie yells as he grabs Santana's pistol, but before he can do anything Santana grabs his pistol arm.

"Wait! Don't you see? He's not after us!"

Artie shakes himself free and fires the pistol, the bullet rips through the Horseman's stomach to reveal putrid innards. The horseman freezes, than turns and strides towards Artie and Santana with purpose

"Well shit Artie! He's after us now!" Santana yells

In an act of brainlessness Artie throws the pistol at the Horseman. Across the way, Sebastian looks to Joe, turns his horse and flees. Joe follows quickly after him.

Artie steps up, scythes ready. He and the Horseman start to fight again. Artie blocks axe and sword, deflecting blows. Santana looks around for an effective weapon, spying something she moves and grabs a long-handled sickle, she approaches Artie and the horseman circles them. Shrugging her shoulders she aimlessly swings the sickle, the Horseman manages to block the rogue sickle. The Horseman begins to battle both Artie and Santana, catching blows, counting every strike, metal ringing throughout the village.

Santana yelps as the horseman manages to knock the sickle from her hand.

Artie catches the Horseman's sword in one scythe, catches the axe handle in the other scythe and then smiles victoriously, until the Horseman flatfoot kicks Artie, sending him down. Growling Artie picks up Santana's sickle and swings it. The blade embeds in the Horseman down to the hilt.

"Now you've fucking annoyed him." Santana groans loudly

The Horseman drops his axe, grasps the sickle handle. As he tries to pull the blade out he smacks the handle into Santana with deceptive force, sending her flying. She crawls, shaking off the blow. The Horseman staggers, trying to pull the blade from his body.

"We can't win this." Santana tells Artie honestly. Artie nods in agreement then yanks Santana to his feet and grabs his scythes. As they flee, Santana grabs a wood-splitting axe from the stump where it's imbedded. Behind them, the Horseman manages to extract the sickle, drops it. Artie and Santana head toward the covered bridge that leads across to the town square. The Horseman strides after them retrieving his axe on the way. Artie and Santana start to cross the bridge. Santana struggling to help support Artie as Artie limps along.

Behind, the Horseman picks up the pace, in on the two fast. Inside the bridge, Santana and Artie are halfway across, Santana panting in exhaustion from supporting Artie's weight. Santana glances back when she hears footsteps pounding, but, the Horseman is not behind them. Confused Santana stops and looks around, looking up she realises the Horseman is on the roof of the bridge. Ahead, at the mouth of the covered bridge, the Horseman leaps down; spinning in mid-air and lands crouched. Santana's eyes widen. The Horseman rises. Santana releases Artie and moves forward, gripping the wood axe tightly in both her hands, she swings the axe downward at the Horseman, but the horseman is quick and swings his axe up connecting with a loud thuck noise causing Santana's axe handle to splinter. The Horseman, axe in one hand, sword in the other, turns upon Artie, and in pulling Artie aside out of the path of the sword, Santana receives a sword-thrust in the shoulder, which makes her scream out. The Horseman lifts his sword arm, throwing Santana and withdrawing the sword in one motion. Santana tumbles to the ground landing in a heap.

Artie moves forward with scythes. The Horseman sets upon him with incredible ferocity battling Artie back, striking so hard and fast it's hard for Artie to keep blocking.

Santana tries to get up, but falls, looking up she watches as the Horseman knocks one of Artie's scythes away, then quickly swings his axe back and sends Artie spinning in a spray of blood.

Santana's vision becomes blurry as she fights unconsciousness, the horseman swiftly approaches her. Santana starts panicking as she realises she is at the Horseman's mercy. The horseman strides straight past her, ignoring her completely. Her eyes widen and she promptly faints.

* * *

Candlelight flickers across Santana's face. She lies in her bed at peace, shirtless and with a glow of sweat. The wound at the top of her chest is raw but with the edges sealed shut. Doctor Chang bends over her, examining her carefully. Jacobi Pierce observes in fascination.

"It's just remarkable. A wound like this should have killed her, but it doesn't need to be sutured and there's hardly loss of blood." Doctor Chang proclaims in awe. Santana's eyes start to twitch open slowly. She tries to rise, looking around, collapses in pain.

"You must be still, you have a fever" Doctor Chang says in a reassuring tone. Santana closes her eyes and slips back into unconsciousness

"Brittany." She quietly mutters

Brittany enters with a beaker of medicine she had conjured. Jacobi and Doctor Chang are bending over Santana, the Doctor trying to make Santana drink a livid green liquid from a shot glass.

"It will restore you."

Santana closes her lips tight and refuses the drink. She doesn't trust Chang. Brittany comes to the bedside with her beaker. Santana sees her. Despite the pain and fever she feels that she owes Brittany an explanation

"I... I... tried to stop Artie but..."

"Sssh... no one could have done more. Drink this down, it will make you sleep." Brittany soothes her.

"The Horseman was not set to kill Artie... or me... If Artie had not attacked him..." Santana ignores her

"Later. Rest now." Jacobi states plainly

"I have discovered something." Santana snaps, hating to be told what to do, she notices Jacobi and Doctor Chang glance at each other.

"These are ravings." Jacobi mutters to Mike Chang.

"The Horseman does not kill for the sake of killing... he chooses his victims."

Brittany shakes her head softly and holds the beaker carefully

"Drink." She whispers soothingly as she holds the beaker to Santana's lips. Santana pauses for a moment then drains the vial and falls back on the pillow, closing her eyes."

Jacobi turns at a sound from the door. Lady Pierce has entered quietly. She comes to him anxiously and grips his hand.

"What is it, Jacobi?"

"Nothing... nothing... Don't be troubled, my love..."

They hold hands lovingly, staring at Santana, who has fallen asleep.

Santana, Begins sobbing in her sleep, Brittany notices and moves to sit on the edge of the bed, soothingly stroking her hair to try and calm her. Santana starts convulsing, then without warning she sits up violently panting. Brittany wraps her arms around the smaller woman and sits on the bed, holding her, calming her.

"Hush... hush... you were dreaming." She whispers quietly. Santana falls back on the pillow.

"Things I had forgotten and would like not to remember." Santana sighs

"Perhaps the remembering is the hard road to peace of mind... What ails you, Santana?" Asks cautiously

"I was well; it was the world that was ill. But since I came here..."

"You were not a happy woman when you came. I think your wound was deeper than the wound you received from the Horseman." Brittany's insightfulness astounds Santana. Smiling softly Brittany raises her hand to Santana's forehead

"But your fever is broken, and though I cannot cure the world I like to be able to try and make you live happy in it. Tell me what you dreamed."

Santana bites her bottom lip and sighs. Not wanting to look directly at Brittany she focuses on the window at the far end of the room. A cardinal rests on a tree just outside.

"How I found my mother dead... How good and evil sometimes wear each other's clothes. She was an innocent, a child of nature, condemned." Santana sniffs as she tries to hide back the tears wanting to escape "murdered by my father."

Brittany looks at Santana shocked, not believing what she just heard.

"Murdered by...?"

"Yes - murdered to 'save her soul!' By a Bible-Black tyrant behind a mask of righteousness. I was seven when I lost my faith."

"What do you believe in, Santana?"

"Sense and reason, cause and consequence, an ordered universe... Oh lord, I should not have come to this place where my rational mind has been so controverted by the spirit world."

"Is there nothing you will take from Sleepy Hollow that was worth the coming here?" Brittany asks softly. After a pause their eyes meet. Santana inhales sharply as she sees the pain radiating from Brittany's expressive eyes.

"No... Not nothing. A kiss. A kiss from a lovely woman before she saw my face or knew my name." Santana looks down at the bed spread shyly

"Yes, without sense or reason." Brittany brings her head to Santana's level and forces her to look at her. They stare at each other for a moment

"It was a kiss on account." Brittany whispers as she moves her face closer to Santana's. Her heart rate picks up as she watches the sparkling blue eyes move closer towards her. Panicking Santana breaks the moment.

"Oh Brittany. I'm so, sorry. Please forgive me. I talk of kisses and you have lost your brave man Artie."

"I have shed my tears for Artie, but yet my heart is not broken. Do you think me wicked?" Brittany replies honestly.

"No... But perhaps there is a little bit of the witch in you, Brittany." Brittany frowns at Santana's statement

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you have bewitched me." Santana shyly smiles but is knocked down as Brittany throws herself at her, holding her tightly.

"That was so corny Constable" Brittany giggles holding on to Santana

"I'm aware"

* * *

Santana stretches as she awakes. Rubbing her eyes she rolls over and finds Lady Pierce watching over her with food and drink. Santana covers herself with her sheets aware that she still is topless.

"You slept like the dead." Lady Pierce smiles at Santana softly

"You are too kind to me." Santana starts cautiously "I do not expect to be served by the lady of the house."

"Nor would you be" Lady Pierce smiles "but that the servant girl has vanished."

Santana looks at the older woman with concern

"Rachel?" The older blonde woman just nods

"Another runaway. Everybody is just leaving."

"Where is...?" Santana starts to ask about Brittany but Lady Pierce cuts her off, as if she can read Santana's mind.

"She watched over you till dawn. Now it is her turn to sleep."

* * *

Santana strides down the staircase to the kitchen with purpose, followed quickly by Blaine

"Where are we going?"

"To the Notary's office." Santana stiffly replies

"Why?"

"Because that is where I expect to find deposited the last will and testament of the elder Schuester"

"You have thought of something..."

"Perhaps. The Widow Pillsbury gave a basket of eggs every day to Schuester. But Schuester already had eggs from his own hens. Then I thought what if the widow was carrying Schuester' child." Blaine raises a caterpillary eyebrow and nods. Hesitating he changes the subject

"I heard someone leaving last night. Looked like they headed to town, but I lost them in the woods."

"You didn't see who?" Santana asks curiously. Blaine shakes his head

"All I saw was their lantern."

Santana ponders, troubled as they make their way down the street. She decides to test her theory of the Horseman on Blaine

"The Horseman is the one doing the killing but, I believe, at the bidding of a mortal, someone of flesh and blood." Blaine pauses and stares at Santana incredulously

"What? What makes you say that?"

"The witch, the crone, when I happened upon her corpse, she lay in a pool of blood. Blood poured hard from her neck. The wound was not cauterized." Santana replies

"Then, she was not killed by the Hessian. Someone only tried to make it seem so?" Blaine asks quietly. Santana just nods

"It was the settling of a private score. But the Horseman cuts heads to the tone of a different drum. The crone pointed us to what drives the Hessian, his skull has been stolen from his grave. The person who stole it has power over the Hessian. Here is why the Headless One has returned through the gate of the Tree of the Dead. He chops heads until his own is restored to him."

"But what person?" Blaine questions and starts thinking of the people who call Sleepy Hollow home.

"A person who stands to gain something by these murders."

Wagons, horses and townspeople swarm the main street. A crowd empties the town's general store. Provisions are passed along, man to man, and loaded onto wheelbarrows. Santana and Blaine walk, passing many people shooting them angry glares. All up and down the long straight road, home owners board up windows with lumber. The two stop outside of the Notary's building Santana feels a shiver and frowns. She looks down the road and see's the church being flooded by people.

"Sanctuary. Or, so they hope." Santana mutters to no-one in particular.

The town's folk carry supplies into the church, within the bordering of a wrought iron fence. Others work to build and erect massive wooden crosses. In the crowd here, Father Flanagan spots Santana and Blaine. He snarls and pushes past people, shouting.

"There she is! There!"

People begin to pay attention to Flanagan as he climbs atop a crate, pointing toward Santana.

"The desecrater of Catholic burial! Twice she has met the Horseman, and kept her head! How is it so?"

Santana sighs loudly and tries to ignore the crazed Priest. She moves to go inside of the notary, as a clod of earth hits her on the shoulder. The Irishman continues yelling at Santana as the crowd surrounding him grows

"The devil protects his own!"

Santana growls and walks inside, Blaine following her shaking his head. Taking in the room Santana is faced with a space she expected more of. The small untidy room with piles of dusty documents is in great disorder. Kurt Hummel looks at Santana anxiously. Blaine stands near.

"I take it, Mister Hummel, that wills and testaments are held here on public record?" Santana asks as she mentally takes photos of the room. Kurt's anxiety becomes increasingly visible, trying to act calm. He passes a document across the desk to Santana.

"I believe this is what you wish to see." Santana holds the document as Kurt abruptly stands "Take it and go!" he pleads. Santana frowns as she quickly scans the will of William Schuester. She doesn't move, making Kurt's anxiety skyrocket.

"Schuester Senior left his estate to his next of kin, that is to say, to his only son. However, the son being murdered in the same instant."

"The next of kin after the son would be the eldest of the line from Schuester's father's sister. None other than the Jacobi Pierce: something else no one thought to mention!" Santana growls

"Well, you have found your way to it, and I hope you will leave now before my windows are broken." Kurt says simply, though his voice is still filled with anxiety. Santana looks out the window at the front of the Notary. There seems to be a crowd gathering outside humming like angry bees. Santana flourishes the will.

"I am not ready to leave." Santana states and resumes going over the will. Kurt starts moaning and wringing his hands as Blaine shifts from foot to foot.

"A brick through your window is not what puts you in terror, Lady Face there is something else. I saw your fear, and the Leprechauns and the Asian Doctor, when you met at Trouty Mouth's house. Trouty Mouth paid with his head, and you fear for your own." Santana states sardonically as Kurt narrows his eyes at the nicknames she has given them

"Whatever, yes it's true. But we did not know it was a murdering plot when we were all drawn in!"

"Drawn in by whom?" Santana stops reading the will and stares at Kurt

"We meant no harm to come to her!" Kurt cries

"No harm to come to whom?" Santana asks

"But the marriage made her next of kin..." Kurt babbles ignoring Santana's questions completely

"Made who next of kin to whom? Stop confusing me!"

"He means old Schuester secretly married the Widow Pillsbury." Blaine answers for Kurt as he has managed to deduce what Kurt is babbling. Santana's eyes widen in an air of excitement.

"Of course! And Schuester made a new will, leaving everything to her and his unborn child. So she stood between Jacobi and the legacy!"

"I cannot be seen to help you. The Horseman will come for me!" Kurt starts panicking

"I will not leave without the very every document pertaining to this marriage."

"Kurt sighs and begins digging into a mountain of documents, hurling handfuls into the air and flings a large file at Santana. Blaine nervously checks the door.

"Go, then! I am a dead man!" Kurt cries out as he starts to sob

"Sir..." Blaine mutters apprehensively. Santana starts to read through the large file

"Blaine. I know why your father died. That night when Schuester quarrelled with his son, Cooper Anderson was summoned upstairs to witness a new Will. Here is your father's signature. It was his death warrant." Blaine takes the document and looks at it tearfully.

"But the secret was not safe. Quinn Puckerman the midwife was forewarned the baby was coming, so she too, had to die." Santana continues

One of the other hurled documents has fluttered down fortuitously in front of Santana. She picks it up and scans it quickly

"The marriage certificate. Father Flanagan married them. Doctor Chang confirmed the widow was pregnant. She told the secret to Magistrate Evans. Notary Hummel concealed the documents..." Kurt snivels and moans and wrings his hands.

"And you all kept silence! Why? For some nameless dread of the man who stood to gain by it, Jacobi Pierce!"

* * *

Santana and Blaine ascend the stairs, noticing: Jacobi, alone, with a glass of liquor, is brooding over an oak coffer of silver coins. Running each of the coins through his fingers. Santana continues with Blaine, speaking quietly.

"I think there is some error in your reasoning." Blaine whispers carefully

"Really? Why is that?" Santana asks politely

"All these murders. Just so that Jacobi Pierce should inherit yet more land and property?"

"Precisely. Men murder for profit all the time. Possibly you don't know, but in New York it's a daily occurrence." Santana states simply. As they approach Santana's room they notice her bedroom door is ajar. Carefully Santana and Blaine approach the door pushing it open quietly, seeing who is in there Santana let's go of a breathe she was unconsciously holding in. Their entry surprises the person sitting at Santana's desk, reading her Ledger.

"Brittany, why are you in my room?" She asks cautiously. Brittany smiles brightly at Santana

"Because it is yours. Is it wicked of me?

"No... Not at all"

"I missed you. Where did you go?"

"To the Notary. I had questions to ask Hummel."

"And did you learn anything of interest?"

Santana and Blaine exchange a glance.

"Perhaps"

"My father" Brittany states plainly

"Your father?" Santana asks raising an eyebrow in suspicion. Brittany nods.

"Yes. My father thinks you should return to New York."

"Really? Why is that?" Brittany smiles softly at Santana

"I don't know. Perhaps he looked in your ledger and did not like what he saw."

She leaves the Ledger open on the desk. Santana steps over to look. Blaine cranes his neck to look. It is a page of doodles with the name "Brittany" written several times, and a detailed sketch of Brittany. Embarrassed Santana closes the Ledger.

"He believes townsfolk and country do not mix."

Santana opens the drawer in the desk and puts away the large file she took from the Notary. She is nervous because she knows they point to complicity by Brittany's father. Blaine, watching, understands this; Santana locks the drawer and pockets the key. Brittany eyes her suspiciously

"What have you there?"

"Evidence. I'm sorry; I must ask you to leave."

"Then I will leave you to your thoughts. Sleep well." Brittany says quietly, sadness evident in her eyes. Brittany leaves quickly. Santana watches as Brittany leaves, as the door closes she spy's movement on the floor, taking a closer look she sees a giant spider scuttling under her bed. She gives a loud yelp and jumps on top of the chair at her desk. Blaine chuckles at her actions

"It's only a spider."

"Where's it gone? Blaine Where's it gone? Can you see it?" her voice trembles with panic. Still chuckling Blaine shakes his head and crouches to look under the bed. He frowns, puzzled.

"There's something under there." As the words leave Blaine's mouth Santana starts hyperventilating

"Kill it! Kill it!" She squeals Blaine looks at her funnily

"I mean, humanely exterminate it?" Shaking his head he stands up and moves to the foot of her bed

"Help me move the bed."

Santana gulps and steps down to help Blaine move the bed.

"Look." Blaine whispers frowning

Strange patterns have been drawn on the floor in chalk. Santana eye's it warily.

"The Evil Eye!" Blaine gasps

"What...? What is...?"

"It is someone casting spells against you." He says shocked

"The Evil Eye." Santana whispers staring at it.

* * *

Blaine, fully dressed, sleeps on the bed. Santana sits waiting. She takes the cover off the lantern and looks at a CLOCK. Midnight. Santana hears a door open and close, then a creak on the stairs. She lights a candle and moves to wake Blaine. They creep quietly out of the room and down the stairs with a lantern, cautious. They pause when a floorboard creaks from another room. Santana quickly covers her lantern. Across the room, light comes under a door, stops. Then continues. Footsteps move away from them and another door is heard opening and closing. Santana spies Lantern light far ahead. Nodding to Blaine the two follow, fearful. Outside, they walk for what seems like hours but perhaps was only 10minutes, they stop at the bottom of a hill.

"Wait here." Santana whispers to Blaine. He nods.

Santana advances, up the hill and peers forward to see. The lantern in which she and Blaine had followed sits on a rock. On a blanket, a semi-naked man and semi-naked woman are in the midst of rough sex. Santana crawls to peer from underbrush "wanky" she whispers to herself. The couple keeps going unaware of the person watching, the man on top, the woman somewhat hidden underneath him. His grunts and gasps are particularly desperate. He's all over the woman in a most grotesque animalistic way. Santana makes a disgusted face and moves to leave, when the man shifts slightly and the woman's face is visible. Lady Pierce. Santana's bug almost out of her head and she swallows roughly.

Lady Pierce pulls down the man's shirt and exposes his flesh. She raises a small, sharp knife behind his back. Santana's eyes widen further. Lady Pierce brings the blade to her own hand, slicing deep into her palm. Blood flows. She rubs her cut hand over her partner's arching back, smearing blood.

Lady Pierce caresses the man's chest, neck, face trailing blood. The man lifts his head, in ecstasy, sucking the woman's bloody fingers. Santana starts freaking out in absolute disgust. The man is none other than Father Rory Flanagan. Santana backs away, having seen more than enough. Making her way back to Blaine, Blaine takes in her appearance, concerned

"What was there?" He asks concerned

"Something I wish I had not seen. A beast with two backs."

"A beast with? What next in these bewitched woods?"

The two return to Santana's room silently. Santana notices that her desk drawer is slightly open. She opens the drawer knowing the worst. The documents have been taken.

Blaine suddenly sniffs the air. He looks at Santana worriedly. He sniffs again and in the grate is the source of the smell: the documents burned to ashes. Santana, in despondency, brings her finger to her head, rubbing at her temple.

* * *

"She will not see you." Lady Pierce gruffly say's to Santana

"Did she say anything at all?" Santana asks pleadingly

"Only that she will not come down."

"I see. Thank you." Santana turns slowly to walk back to her room

"Constable, you have not asked me how I hurt my hand since yesterday. Which would have been polite. In fact you have been as careful not to look at it as not to mention it."

Lady Pierce begins stripping off the bandage to show Santana a roughly sewn cut.

"Um" Santana clears her throat "What did you do to your hand?

Lady pierce smiles menacingly at Santana and grabs her wrist moving her face so that her lips were an inch from Santana's ear

"I know you saw me."

"Um, what?" Santana replies anxiously

"I know you followed last night. You must promise not to tell my husband what you saw. Promise me Constable Lopez."

Santana tries to pull away, but she grips tighter. The front door of the house is slammed closed. Santana's heart starts to beat so fast it feels as though it is about to jump out of her chest

"Rory Flanagan has power over me."

"P-p-power?" Santana stutters

"He knows something terrible against my dear husband, what you witnessed was the price of Flanagan's silence."

"What does the Priest know?"

But before Lady Pierce can answer Santana's question footsteps approach the door, the handle turns.

"Later" Lady Pierce mutters as she pulls away just as Jacobi enters.

"The town is in ferment. Horror piled on tragedy. Hummel is dead, strangled."

Jacobi goes straight to a flagon on the side table and lifts it to his lips. Santana stares at Jacobi's strong hands gripping the neck of the flagon.

"Oh, really? His poor Father"

"Hanged himself in the night!" Jacobi replies

"Hanged himself?" Santana asks suspiciously, Jacobi just nods his head.

"Father Flanagan has called a meeting at the church tonight. Every man, woman and child." He turns to Santana grimly "He will speak against you; if you are wise you will be gone from here. Flanagan's congregation is already halfway to being a mob."

"I will go when I have done what I came to do." Santana states simply.

Lady Pierce comes to calm her husband. Jacobi notices her wound.

"What is this?" he asks concerned

"I was careless with the kitchen knife."

"The wound looks angry."

"I'll bind it later with wild arrowroot flowers. I know where I'll find some. Will you ride with me?" She asks

* * *

Santana knocks quietly at Brittany's door. No answer. She quietly opens the door. Brittany's bed has been slept in but it's empty and she is not there. But in the grate there is the tell-tale heap of charred paper and ash, recognizable as Santana's documents. A sound at the door makes her whip around.

"I saw her riding away towards the old pasture." Blaine tells her, before he makes his way down to the kitchen.

A small pile of straw burns slowly. Gloved hands unfold a paper filled with hair clippings, which are sprinkled on the fire. A cloaked figure kneels before the pile. The figure removes a human skull from a cloth bag. The skull is placed at centre in the flames. Its teeth are sharp, cut to points. The Horseman's skull.

Santana rides Gunpowder, approaching the Ruined Cottage. She finds Brittany crouched over the hearthstone. Her horse grazes. She hears Santana's horse and turns.

"Brittany..." Santana whispers as she dismounts Gunpowder. Brittany had made a small fire. She is "doing magic." Mumbling. She turns to look at Santana in anger and tears.

"You took the papers and burned them? Santana asks feeling Brittany's sadness radiate through her own body

"So that you would not have them to accuse my father!" Brittany spits angrily

"I... I accuse no one... but if there is guilt I cannot alter it no matter how much it grieves me and no spells of yours can alter it either." She softly replies

"If you knew my father you would not have such harsh thoughts about him, nor if you felt anything for me!" Tears start to spill from the deep pools that are Brittany's eyes

"I am pinioned by a chain of reasoning! Why else did his four friends conspire to conceal?"

"You are the Constable, not I, so find another chain of reasoning and let me be." Brittany's tone is a tone Santana would never have expected to come from her. Filled with hate.

"I can't! I can't for one or the other. My heart aches from it." Santana honestly tells her. Brittany scoffs and narrows her eyes at Santana.

"I think you have no heart and I had a mind once to give you mine." Brittany mounts her horse, which rears up. She is momentarily like a female warrior, her eyes ablaze with anger and tears.

"I think you loved me that day when you followed me into the Western Woods! You braved such peril." Santana cries out

"What peril was there for me if it was my own father who controlled the Headless Horseman? Good-bye, Santana Lopez! I curse the day you came to Sleepy Hollow!" Brittany scornfully says. Santana watches her gallop away and hides her anguished face for comfort in Gunpowder's neck.

* * *

A distant bell is tolling as Jacobi waits on his horse watching where Lady Pierce can be glimpsed among the spaced trees gathering "arrowroot flowers."

"Come. Hurry up! The meeting bell has started toning." He whines

He looks anxiously toward the village, then back to the trees where to his horror he sees the Headless Horseman moving slowly toward Lady Pierce, calmly unsheathing his sword.

* * *

People are entering the Church while the bell tolls them in supervised grimly by Father Flanagan. More and more people are heading toward the Church like a flock of sheep. In the shadows, Santana, hatted and cloaked to make herself look anonymous, watches the people going by and sighs loudly as she sees Brittany among them.

"The Horseman!"

Jacobi comes charging through the town square on his horse. Jacobi is barely hanging on. He stops, falling off his horse, scrambling toward Brittany, who is not far from Santana.

"Save me" he continues

"Father?" Brittany questions confused

"He killed her..."

Jacobi grasps Brittany, deathly afraid.

"The Horseman has killed your stepmother!" he cries out as Brittany's eyes widen in horror. Hoof beats permeate the air growing ever closer the air is audibly shattered as a screechy cry is let out by Daredevil. Jacobi looks and sees The Horseman riding into view, giving chase. In an Instant mayhem breaks out. The few people in the churchyard flee, heading for the Church, Jacobi runs with them.

"Father!" Brittany chases after Jacobi. Santana now sees that her "case" is falling apart. She and Blaine start running to the Church. Jacobi pushes through the Iron Gate, across the churchyard, bounding up the stairs. Brittany following quickly him. Santana, with Blaine, follow into the churchyard. Santana glances back and see's The Horseman quickly coming up behind them.

"I know what you are thinking." Santana puffs out

"It seems Jacobi Pierce is not the one who controls the Horseman." Blaine smirks. As the Horseman reaches the open gate, Daredevil rears up violently, snorting, unwilling to enter.

Jacobi makes his way into the church, shoving people aside. Men pass rifles from stockpiles and climb onto pews at the boarded windows. Women herd children into a cellar. Jacobi searches for a hiding place, moving toward the back, Brittany pushes through, following Jacobi.

At the front of the Church, Santana squeezes in just as the front doors are forced shut. Surveying the madness she runs to a window, looking out between boards. At the church yard gates, the Horseman grabs Daredevils reins and tries to move forward again. But with the same result.

The Horseman gives his axe an underhand toss to the ground inside the gate the axe instantly begins to degrade, like dust in the rain. The Horseman steers away, keeping outside the fence.

Santana comes away from the window, looking to the mass of panicked citizens. She sees Brittany pushing up the aisle, she's heading toward Jacobi. Brittany turns to Santana, her face aflame with accusation.

Santana bows her head, wanting to move and apologise, but Brittany runs toward the Altar, where she prostrates herself, evidently in a paroxysm of despair.

Gunshots begin to ring out over the mayhem as men start firing their rifles out of the window.

The Horseman circles, under fire. Great clouds of gun smoke shoot from the Church. Men fire down from the belfry. Parts of the Horseman and Daredevil splatter red as slugs hit, without effect.

The horseman moves, heading toward the town square. Riflemen shout to each other, running to the opposite windows to follow the Horseman. Blaine grabs a rifle and to join the brigade.

Jacobi is trying to force his way to one of the cellar doors, when Flanagan grips him angrily, shoving him.

"You'll kill us all!" he snarls

Jacobi stumbles back, toppling over pews

"You're the one the Horseman wants." Flanagan yells in a booming manner as he moves and grabs Jacobi Pierce him to the front. Upon seeing the commotion between the two powerful men she begins pushing past people, trying to get to them.

The Horseman brings Daredevil to a halt, yanks a large coil of rope off a hitching post and turns to ride back towards the church.

Inside the church Jacobi pulls free from Flanagan but falls to the floor again.

"Why should we die for you? Get out!" The Irishman growls in a manner most unbecoming of a priest. Others join the rage, pulling Jacobi toward the front of the Church, shouting. Santana joins in, struggling to push people off of Jacobi.

"Stop this!" Santana yells over the top of everyone. She moves to Jacobi's side, trying to protect him from the onslaught.

"The Horseman cannot enter! It does not matter who he wants, he cannot cross the gate!" She states exasperatedly.

"He's coming back!" A rifleman cries out from a window the room again erupts in utter panic. Flanagan points toward Jacobi still gripping one of his arms.

"We have to save ourselves!" Flanagan yells. Before anybody can stop him Jacobi pulls the pistol from Santana's holster.

"UNHAND ME!" Jacobi yells as he brandishes the gun. Everyone backs off.

Outside, the Horseman rides past the front; though he is fired upon he does not stop. Halting along a length of the wrought gate, he down reaches and yanks off one iron post, which is pointed on top, like an arrow head.

Jacobi holds everyone away with the pistol, and stares at the crowd like a man possessed.

"The next person to lay hands on me will have a bullet."

Doctor Chang, who so far has just been one of the crowd, now pushes his way between Flanagan and Jacobi.

"Enough have died already!" he growls at both men "It is time to confess our sins and ask God to forgive us!"

"Don't be a fool! I warn you." Rory spits with his thick accent. Jacobi looks between the two men in confusion

"What is it that you know?" Jacobi asks quietly

"Your four friends played you false. We were devilishly possessed by one whom..." but before Mike Chang can finish his explanation Rory Flanagan wrenches a heavy ornate cross from the wall and smashes it into the Doctors skull with a blow of tremendous force. The room falls completely silent, Jacobi looks at the Priest then without hesitation fires Santana's pistol, blasting a bloody hole into Rory's stomach. Everyone backs away as Flanagan falls. Flanagan lays gasping, eyes huge.

Brittany rises to her feet and stands; staring wide-eyed at the horror. Santana moves toward her. Flanagan lies still with a bloody gurgle, face down. Jacobi looks to all the horrified people around him.

"There is conspiracy here! And I will seek it out!" He yells, just as a loud crash echoes through the room and an iron post comes spearing through a window, with rope trailing behind it. With a thwack the iron post pierces Jacobi from behind: its bloodied point bursting out through his breastbone. Jacobi gasps, stunned. He drops the gun, looks down to clutch the post. Blood streaming out of his mouth.

Santana catches Brittany as she swoons. Horror struck, she hugs her and notices that hanging on a ribbon around her neck is the little carved bauble taken from the neck of the dead Crone. Almost at the same time, Santana sees that on the flagstones where Brittany was lying there is now a "Drawing" done in chalk, identical to the "Evil Eye" drawing she and Blaine had found under her bed.

"The Evil Eye!" Santana gasps

At that moment, a piece of White Chalk falls from Brittany's senseless hand. Santana looks at Brittany horrified.

"Oh God...it was you!"

The full horrible implication of this hits Santana just as: The rope tied to the post suddenly yanks Jacobi backward with incredible force slamming him into the window. Jacobi crashes backwards through the window, hits the ground and is dragged along the ground. The horseman rides Daredevil away from the church, with the rope tied around Daredevil's saddle pommel. Jacobi slams into the fence. Causing the rope to snap. Wedged between posts Jacobi lays gurgling blood.

Inside the church Santana holds Brittany close to her chest

"Oh god, please forgive her!"

Blaine watches both scenes from a window his heart aching for Santana and Brittany, his face twisted in horror as he turns and watches as the Horseman turns Daredevil, riding back towards the church his sword raised high, approaching Jacobi, he swings down and chops off Jacobi's head.

* * *

Brittany lies insensible in her bed the ribbon with the bauble around her neck. Santana stands watching her, alone with her grief and what feels like an appalling "secret."

"It was an evil spirit possessed you. I pray God it is satisfied now, and that you find peace. Good-bye, Brittany. The Evil Eye has done its work. My life is over spared for a lifetime of horrors in my sleep, waking each day to grief." She carefully leans down and places a soft kiss upon Brittany's lips. Stifling a sniffle she then leaves the room, carefully closing the door.

Standing outside on the porch Santana stands with Blaine as a decrepit coach, with Gunpowder as one of its team, waits, loaded with Santana's baggage.

Finn Hudson, the ogreish driver, helps Santana with strapping the load. Blaine watches, not helping. Santana turns and faces Blaine sadly. Angry tears come form in Blaine's eyes. The farewell feels like an argument.

"But who will look for the truth when you have gone?" Blaine asks with a sniffle

"There is no more truth to be found. That is why I can go and leave this wretched place behind me." Santana speaks quietly without emotion

"You think it was Brittany, don't you?" Blaine asks, tears falling from his eyes

Santana clamps his hand over Blaine's mouth and looks intently into his eyes.

"That can never be uttered. Never." She whispers angrily. She quickly takes her hand away.

"A strange sort of witch, with a kind and loving heart! How can you of all people think so?" Blaine accuses. Santana clear her throat awkwardly

"I have a good reason."

"Then you are bewitched by reason." Blaine accuses

"I am beaten down by it! It's a hard lesson for a hard world, and you had better learn it, Blaine villainy wears many masks, none as dangerous as the mask of virtue. Farewell!" she spits as she turns on her heel and climbs into the coach. Finn quickly climbs onto the front of the coach. Santana takes one last look at the house and then slumps. She pounds twice on the coach wall.

Finn raises the reins and the coach lurches forward. Blaine stands still watching as the coach disappears, wiping at stray tears.

* * *

Brittany wakes. She hears the Coach Wheels crumpling away. She gets up from the bed and goes to the window, watching the coach until it disappears into the horizon. Brittany's face crumples and she falls to the floor in tears.

The coach slowly makes its way through the village, near Doctor Chang's house; the coach passes a flat cart, on which lies the headless corpse of Lady Pierce. Santana looks at the corpse and she notes the gashed palm of one dead hand. The cart is being pulled at a walking pace by a single horse. Sebastian, walking, holding the bridle. The cart man pauses, seeing a rider approaching, traveling in the same direction as Santana's coach.

Santana realizes that the rider is Brittany. She looks from the coach window and sees Brittany get down from the horse and go to the cart. Santana pulls back from her window and closes her eyes.

* * *

Blaine enters, looks around the empty room. He goes to sit, crosses his arms on the desk and lays down his head. Brittany enters an hour later. She crosses the room unaware of Blaine's presence, slumps in a chair, staring into the burning fireplace.

* * *

Santana opens her satchel, takes out a bottle of water and gulps from it. In replacing the bottle, she finds the Book given to her by Brittany. She opens the book. She looks at a dog eared page with a drawing on it. Immediately she recognizes the drawing of the supposed "Evil Eye," identical to the two she had seen before. But what gains Santana's real attention is the bold headline. The Headline over the Picture is "For the Protection of a Loved One against Evil Spirits." Santana gasps, and mutters the words aloud. Eyes wide she whispers loudly to herself

"But then, who?"

Puzzled she stares at her palms, hoping for answers. Almost immediately she slides the front window panel to shout through it.

"Hudson, turn the coach!"

"What?"

"Turn the coach around you ogre!" she yells

Tina Chang comes to answer banging on the door. She opens the door and is immediately pushed aside as Santana storms in, satchel in hand.

"Pardon my intrusion." Santana gruffly states as she moves forward into the doctors quarters. There are two coffins lying on the floor. Approaching them Santana throws off the lids from the coffins, looking to the headless bodies of Jacobi and Lady Pierce

Santana lifts Lady Pierce's hand with the gash on its palm. She bends down to study it carefully pulling at the sewn wound, pulling the stitches apart between her thumbs. Tina Chang watches cautiously.

* * *

Brittany sits by the fire still her eyes closed when she hears a board creak. Frowning she sits up, turning to see who is there

"Who is it?" she asks croakily.

* * *

Santana releases the corpse's hand, tears off her spectacles, shaken by the realization she has come to.

"No blood flow, no clotting, no healing. When this cut was made this woman was already dead." She mutters to herself. Realising the consequences Santana quickly grabs her satchel, bolts out the door.

* * *

The boards somewhere in the large room creak again, spooking Brittany

"W-h-wh-ho is there?" She asks again. A figure comes into the dim, flickering fire light. Brittany's face floods with confusion

"Dear step daughter." Lady Pierce's voice echoes around the room. Brittany immediately stands, terrified, trying to form words. Lady Pierce cackles like a witch.

"You look as if you've seen a ghost." She cackles. Brittany's eyes roll up as she faints dead away to the floor.

* * *

Santana runs out from the doctor's residence, leaps up onto the empty

Coach, pushing Finn Hudson's rifle aside. Finn turns to see Santana jump up on the coach as he urinates against the side of the building.

"Be with you in a minute, Constable." He mumbles, but Santana ignores him and whips the horses, driving the coach away. Finn frowns in confusion.

* * *

The interior of the windmill is large and shadowy, with lots of old junk, clutter, machinery, and boxes. Brittany lies unconscious as Lady Pierce moves to cut off a clump of Brittany's hair with scissors, grinning as she does it.

A pile to conjure has been prepared, containing a small animal's heart with an iron nail through it. Lady Pierce adds Brittany's hair and lights the pile off a lantern. She then begins to whisper over the fire. She looks to Brittany, who stirs. She quickly takes the Horseman's head from a bag and places it in the centre of the fire. Whispering again

"Rise up once more, my Dark Avenger! Rise up! One more night of Beheading! Rise up with your sword, and your Mistress of the night will make you whole a head for a head, my unholy Horseman. Rise - rise - rise from the earth, come forth again through the Tree of the Dead, come now for Brittany Pierce!"

Brittany sits up, groggy, looking around she sees the dying fire, and Lady Pierce watching her, menacingly.

"Awake at last. Did you think it was all a nasty dream? Alas, no." an evil smile spreads across her face.

"My father saw the Horseman kill you." Brittany whispers shakily. Lady Pierce cackles at this

"He saw the Horseman coming to me with his sword unsheathed! But it is I who govern the Horseman, my dear, and Jacobi did not stay to see."

"But there was your body!" Brittany exclaims

"The servant girl, Rachel, I always thought her useless, but she turned, out useful. Tomorrow I'll totter out of the woods and spin a tale how I found Jacobi and Rachel in the act of lust as I watched, the Horseman was upon them, and off went Rachel's head! I fainted and remember nothing more." She smiles self-satisfaction written all over her face.

"Who are you?"

"My family name was Sylvester." Brittany frowns at this

"I lived with my father and mother and my sister in a gamekeeper's cottage not far from here. Until one day, my father died, and the landlord who received many years of loyal service from my parents evicted us. No one in this God fearing town would take us in."

From behind Lady Pierce, Blaine Anderson quietly appears.

"... Because my mother was suspected of witchcraft."

Blaine looks about for a weapon. His eyes alight on a large Wooden Mallet.

"She was no witch, but I believe she knew much that lies under the surface of life and she schooled her daughters well while we lived as outcasts in the Western Woods. She died within a year... and my sister and I remained in our refuge, seeing not a soul. Until, gathering firewood one day, we crossed the path of the Hessian. I saw his death, and from that moment I offered my soul to Satan if he would raise the Hessian from the grave to avenge me."

Blaine, unseen, works his way quietly around behind Lady Pierce/Sylvester.

"Avenge you?" Brittany screws up her face in confusion.

"Against Schuester, who evicted my family, against Jacobi Pierce who, with wife and simpering girl child, stole our home. I swore I would make myself mistress of all they had." She cackles at this part. "The easiest part was the first, to enter your house as your mother's sick nurse and put her body into the grave, and my own into the marriage bed."

Brittany cries out in horror.

"Not quite so easy was to secure my legacy, but, lust delivered Reverend Flanagan into my power. Fear did the same for the Kurt Hummel. The drunken Evans succumbed for a share of the proceeds, and the Doctor's silence I exchanged for my complicity in his fornications." She smiles

Blaine moves into the open, weapon raised. Brittany sees him and stifles a gasp.

"Yes! It seems you have everything now." Brittany breathes out

"No, my dear. You do, by your father's will. But I get everything in the event of your death." She cackles again. Lady Pierce's hand reaches for the Mystic Bauble on Brittany's neck. She rips it free.

"This pretty bauble, which I so kindly gave you to wear, has done its work. My sister, Jean, by the way, sadly passed away." She smiles to herself "quite recently."

Blaine moves close enough to bring the mallet down upon Lady Pierces head. Brittany continues to work at keeping her attention.

"You killed your own sister?"

"She brought it upon herself." Like a whiplash, Lady Pierce turns cackling at Blaine

"By helping you and your master!" Blaine shrieks and drops the mallet.

"Mister Anderson! You are just in time to have your head sliced off!"

Brittany and Blaine run to each other for mutual comfort. Lightening cracks through the dark night sky outside. Lady Pierce looks out the window, excitement crossing her face like a child in a candy store.

"The Horseman comes. And tonight he comes for you!"

Brittany and Blaine stand holding hands, scared. Lady Pierce picks up the Horseman's skull in her gloved hand and puts up her face and gives out a long animal howl. Distantly, Daredevil is heard answering with a scream.

Brittany and Blaine run. Lady Pierce has no need to stop them.

"Run! There is no escape!" she laughs manically.

* * *

Santana pulls up in front of the Pierce house and leaps from the coach, tripping as she bounds up the porch stairs. Bursting through the door she yells

"Brittany!" Not hearing an answer she quickly runs through the house. Finding nobody there she runs out to the porch and stops, sees firelight in the distance emanating from the Windmill. She runs and leaps back up to the coach and takes off towards the windmill.

Thunder booms and the wind howls as Lady Pierce stands in the doorway with the skull in one hand, laughing. Watching as Brittany and Blaine run petrified. As they break out into the open. Santana appears coming towards them.

"Santana!" Brittany yells in relief.

Santana meets them, and doesn't even bother stopping the coach, she leaps from her seat, landing awkwardly but getting up and running to hug both Brittany and Blaine

"Thank God." She cries, the moment is ruined as Lady Pierce's mad laughter is heard. Santana and Brittany turn as Lady Pierce strolls from the windmill and makes her way to her white horse. She shrieks with laughter with every step.

Along the treeline, the Horseman breaks through into the open.

"Oh Constable! Have you come back to arrest someone after all?"

Santana thinks fast, moving toward the windmill, leading Brittany and Blaine along with her.

"Quickly!" she hisses to the two.

Behind, wind assaults Lady Pierce; she holds the Horseman's skull high.

"Mind your hat, Constable!" she chuckles. Blaine scurries up the ladder and disappears, Brittany is quick to follow. Santana looks behind; The Horseman is almost upon them. Santana follows Brittany, pulling herself up. Just as The Horseman arrives, dismounting, moving forward with a purpose.

Santana leaps up, lifts the heavy trap door on its hinges, and slams it. The door is pounded from outside, buckling.

"It won't hold." Blain mumbles. Santana nods at him and moves to a large grindstone propped against a wall. She struggles to move it, but is quickly aided by Blaine. They manage to roll it to the trapdoor. It falls on top with a thud. Blaine jumps back as the Horseman's sword jabs up through the grindstone's centre hole. The sword withdraws and the pounding begins anew.

The Horseman chops at the door with his axe. The pounding gets louder and louder. Brittany and Blaine back away. Santana looks around, desperate for ideas, searching. Above, to the right, is the high milling platform, where grain is ground and bagged, and there is a ladder leading to it. To the left is a crooked, open staircase. Santana picks up a bailing hook, a plan quickly forming. She gives her lantern to Brittany and points.

"Get up these stairs. Open the door to the roof and wait." Without question Brittany and Blaine obey, heading left. Santana crosses to the right and starts climbing the ladder to the milling platform. Once on the platform, Santana grasps a wooden lever, pulling it. The entire windmill creaks and groans as massive gears and counter wheels above her begin to turn. The windmill's rotors slowly begin spinning.

Under the windmill, the Horseman keeps chopping, his axe exposing grindstone and throwing sparks.

Brittany looks down from the stairway. The pounding on the trap door causes the grindstone to jump.

"Santana." Brittany calls worriedly

"Just, keep climbing. I will follow." She say's optimistically, when Brittany turns she adds "Hopefully." Under her breath. Santana drags large bags of grain, lining them up at the edge of the milling platform. Above her, Blaine throws open the door to the roof.

Santana uses the bailing hook to cut holes into the grain bags, so that milled grain spills out and falls to the floor, creating clouds of grain dust. She grabs one open bag and dumps it. Then she slices into a sack hanging from a pulley system and pushes it so it swings in circles, causing grain to flood out. More and more dust rises, filling the air.

Blaine and Brittany come out on to the roof. Windmill Rotors spin behind them.

The grindstone blocking the trap door falls through as the wood splinters and gives. A moment later the Horseman climbs in. Brittany looks down from above and see's the horseman making his way towards Santana

"Behind you!" she yells

Santana looks down, sees the Horseman, then looks to the staircase adjacent from the high platform. She runs, leaping across the space between the platform and stairs. Grasping the outer rail of the staircase, she manages to pull herself up onto the stairs.

Below her, the Horseman moves through clouds of billowing dust, begins to run and leaps, with superhuman height, he grasps a hanging chain, swinging, his momentum carrying him in a wide arc.

Above, Santana runs upstairs, to the roof door. The Horseman's weight swings him toward the stairwell. He releases the chain and lands high up on the stairwell.

Brittany and Blaine quickly help Santana onto the roof.

"Quickly, close it!" Brittany screams in panic

"No." Santana takes command; turning to face Brittany she takes the lantern from her.

"Get to the crest of the roof and be ready to jump." Blaine looks at her as if she has lost her mind.

"Jump? From up here?"

Santana looks down the trap door and watches as The Horseman clomps upstairs axe in hand. Shaking her head Santana shepherds Brittany and Blaine to the edge, where the rotors spin close.

"Jump for the sails! Wait till I give the word!"

"Santana! I can't." Brittany cries grabbing the Latina's wrist

"Yes, you can, mi amor" Santana soothes. Brittany looks at her, face softening. It was the first time she had heard the Latin woman speak in her native tongue. Giving her a shy smile Santana moves back to the trap door. Brittany and Blaine look at the rotors, and down at the long distance between them and the ground.

"Be ready." Santana calmly says. And with that Santana drops the lantern into the windmill and runs.

"Now!" she yells

The Horseman continues up the stairs, not acknowledging as the lantern falls past him.

On the roof, Blaine is the first one who jumps. Brittany hesitates staring at the moving windmill blades. Santana see's Brittany's apprehension and grips her hand reassuringly. Together, they jump. They both hit the same rotor, gripping the frame and cloth as the rotor begins

Inside of the windmill, the lantern hits the ground and shatters and flames roar into life. Throughout the windmill's interior, grain dust is consumed instantaneously flames roar upwards, simultaneously engulfing the Horseman.

The rotor is halfway to its lowest point. Blaine, Brittany and Santana hang on as the entire structure trembles. Flames shoot out windows and doors. On the rotor, Santana struggles to keep a grip on Brittany. Blaine nears the bottom and drops. But Santana and Brittany don't have that luck as they slip off the rotor and hit the ground roughly. Santana rolls over, gasping, holding her shoulders, and slowly getting to her feet.

The three quickly run away as smouldering debris rain down. Santana ushers them along as they run, heading uphill. Lightning flashes across the sky. Thundering rumbling a small time after. Santana can't help but think about how cliché this is. At the mercy of a supernatural murderer, thunder and lightning invade the air

Behind them the windmill becomes to crumble, huge burning sections crashing to the ground.

Santana, Brittany and Blaine slow, looking back at the incredible conflagration.

"Is he dead?" Blaine pants holding his side. Santana shakes her head trying to catch her breath

"He was dead to start with, that's the problem." She puffs out.

"Look." Brittany squeaks pointing towards the windmill. In the windmill rubble, the Horseman rises, shoving off burning debris. His flame-ravaged uniform smouldering.

"Shit. Fuck. Shit." Santana panics as she spins around, searching for anything. She spots the coach and horses not too far away from them.

"Come on!" she yells and the three run towards the coach. Behind them, Daredevil rides to re-join the Horseman.

The coach hits the long straight road, rumbling at top speed away from the Pierce Estate, into the forest. Brittany and Blaine hold on as the coach shakes violently.

"Where are we going?" Brittany asks as calmly as she can.

"Anywhere!" Santana yells

"Constable Lopez! He's right behind us!" Blaine yells

Behind on the trail, the Horseman chases, closing fast. Brittany starts panicking.

"Go to the church!"

"We'll never reach it!" Santana replies

Blaine motions to Santana's satchel she still is wearing.

"You must have something in your bag of tricks." He states. Santana simply shakes her head.

"Nothing that will help us, I am afraid. Take the reins please Blaine."

Blaine takes them. Santana gives Finn's rifle to Brittany, and then crawls back across the coach roof. Santana moves to the baggage area at the rear, struggling to open a storage box. Behind, the Horseman draws his sword, closer. Santana opens the box and pulls out a jagged hand saw.

"Look out!" Brittany shouts and Santana looks up to see the Horseman riding up, swinging his sword back. Santana squeaks as she recoils. Just as a thwack rings out. The Horseman lets the coach get ahead, shifting to the other side of the trail coming along the side again. Santana backpedals, looking to Blaine.

"Keep him off! Block him!"

Blaine guides the horses over. The Horseman falls behind to avoid the wheels. One of the wheels hits a large rock, sending Santana bouncing, she drops the saw as she beings to fall. She manages to hold onto the side of the coach, using all her upper body strength, she tries to swing herself back ontop, but she is unable to. Santana tries for better purchase. She grips the coach door, Brittany, quickly climbs to offer her hand.

"Take my hand!" she pleads to Santana.

Santana reaches to her, but the coach door falls open, her pistol falls from the holster and is lost on the trail. Santana clings helplessly to the door as branches slam into her.

Brittany and Santana re-join Blaine as he stops the coach. They climb off the coach to examine the ruined wheel, panicked.

"FUCK! This is not good." She moans

"We're doomed." Blaine whispers

"Okay, we have to get out of the open somehow." quickly looking around she comes up with an idea "Quick, follow me."

They turn to run, but suddenly falter, seeing someone riding over the crest of the hill. Lady Pierce quickly approaches, on her white horse, with Santana's lost pistol in her hand.

"What? Still alive?" she smirks as across the distance, the Horseman strides in this direction. Santana inwardly groans.

"Run, Brittany" she commands but Lady Pierce points her gun at Brittany.

"Yes, do run. And jump. And skip." Lady Pierce aims the pistol at Brittany's head "and now let's see a somersault!"

"Run!" Santana whispers loudly as she makes a move toward Lady Pierce, but Lady Pierce aims and fires the pistol shooting Santana directly in the chest. She immediately falls in a crumpled heap on the forest floor.

"No!" Brittany lets out a heart wrenching scream. Blaine cries out and falls to his knees beside Santana. Brittany moves toward her too, but Lady Pierce rides forward and grabs Brittany by her long blonde hair, she begins to pull her toward the Horseman. Santana lies clutching the smouldering wound in her chest, gasping for air. Blaine holds him crying visibly

"Oh, God... no... No..." Blaine cries.

Lady Pierce continues to drag Brittany by the hair as Brittany screams and struggles and kicks. The Horseman keeps coming, Lady Pierce stops her horse, halfway to the Horseman, drops Brittany and starts riding back, shouting

"There she is. Take her, she's yours!" excitedly she shouts

Brittany gets up to run, stumbles then falls. The Horseman strides after her.

Up the field, Santana gets to her knees, feeling her chest with both hands, not quite understanding, struggling to shake off delirium.

"Santana, you're... you're not dead." Blaine exclaims

"Not yet anyway." Santana replies still clutching her chest

Santana looks up; trying to comprehend what was going on. Lady Pierce had turned her horse, her back to Blaine and Santana, keeping her distance from the Horseman but watching eagerly as he approaches Brittany. Brittany runs with speed that Santana has never seen before in their direction with the Horseman at her heels.

Santana narrows her eyes at Lady Pierce's horse. There is a black saddle bag slung haphazardly over Lady Pierce's horse. Santana realises the reason for the saddle bag and quickly rises out of pure determination, runs faster than she ever has before.

Blaine watches as Santana takes off and the Horseman gain ground quickly on Brittany.

Lady Pierce watches, grinning, but is suddenly distracted as something catches her eye, she turns, just as Santana leaps into the air and tackles Lady Pierce off of her horse, taking her down to the ground hard. The impact of the tackle and the movements from the now startled horse cause the saddlebag to fall off and open the Horseman's skull rolling out. Santana scrambles toward the skull, but falls, halted. Lady Pierce grips her leg, holding her in place.

Blaine see's this and quickly grabs a heavy, broken tree limb off the ground.

He looks over to see the Horseman is mere yards behind Brittany. Santana struggles to get free from Lady Pierce's hold. She can't break her grip, putting up a fight she closes her eyes and scream out in frustration when she hears a loud bang. Opening her eyes she sees Blaine has smashed Lady Pierce over the head with the tree limb.

Looking around, she starts to panic as the Horseman catches Brittany. Santana scrambles free, running, reaching for the skull she grasps it. The Horseman holds Brittany ready by her hair as she falls to her knees, screaming and struggling. Tears flowing. The Horseman raises his sword. Santana swallows a large lump in her throat.

"Horseman!" Santana yells, and then throws the skull at him as hard as she can. The skull spins through the air. The Horseman suddenly drops Brittany and reaches up with one hand easily catching the skull. Brittany doesn't hesitate as she picks herself up and runs. Santana runs to meet her, grabbing her as she falls. Together, they back away from the Horseman.

The Horseman holds the skull out then brings it to his shoulders, to its rightful place. Before their eyes blood and flesh rise up from the Horseman's throat and grip the skull. Blaine watches in awe. Muscle forms. Liquids become solids. He is made whole once more, the same evil, human face he once possessed returned. The Horseman looks to Santana and Brittany, touches his restored face. Daredevil rides up to him; the Horseman replaces his sword and climbs into the saddle.

He rides toward Brittany and Santana, but rides right past them. They are so exhausted they fall down. Blaine comes to stand with them as the Horseman leans down to grab Lady Pierce's unconscious form. He then pulls her up across Daredevil's back and rides off. Santana and Brittany watch him go gratefully. They look at each other, then kiss passionately after a few moments the kiss slows, Brittany pulls away with a goofy smile on her face. Santana however looks at Blaine with concern on her face.

"How are you, Blaine?"

"Weary, Ma'am."

Santana holds out her arm, Blaine comes over and smiles. She hugs him strongly. Pulling away from each other Brittany leans in and touches the burned bullet hole in Santana's clothing.

"I thought I had lost you." Brittany whispers in a shaky voice

Santana reaches into her clothing, takes out a book she kept in an inner pocket close to her heart. It was Brittany's book of spells, now with a bullet lodged in it. Brittany wraps her arms around Santana.

The moment is disrupted however when hoof beats start galloping closer. The two part as Blaine looks around trying to find the source. The Horseman quickly enters the clearing, holding on to Lady Pierce. Ahead, the Tree of the dead awaits. Lady Pierce begins to awaken. The Horseman snarls and grips Lady Pierce's hair, pulling her face up closer to his, just as she opens her eyes, Lady Pierce screams as the Horseman brings his face to meet hers, about to engage in a kiss, his jagged teeth open wide. Ahead, the twisted tree's wound opens, deep and glowing, as Daredevil gallops forward picking up speed. The horse then jumps in the air just as a lightning bolt blasts down from the sky, striking the Horseman. For an instant, Horseman and horse are transformed into skeletons of light as they enter the tree. Silence and smoke permeate the air. At the tree, Lady Pierce's hand sticks out from the tight-shut suture. The sewn wound on her palm seeps blood as her fingers curl.

* * *

A coach pulls up to Santana's home. Santana opens the coach door and helps Brittany down. Next, Blaine sticks his head out, his eyes becoming wide in awe. Brittany moves and holds the young man's hand in an act of reassurance. Santana comes to hold Brittany's other hand and smiles widely at her. Blaine looks around entranced by the bustling metropolis.

"Oh, my!" Blaine gasps

"Look at the cobbled streets!" Brittany exclaims with enthusiasm

"Yes... New York, New York! Just in time for the new century! It's the modern age, Brittany!"

Brittany smiles at Santana's enthusiasm, her eyes twinkling, she leans forward and kisses her plump lips softly.

"It's always the modern age, Santana. But the ancient ones endure."

THE END


End file.
